German Book Prize 2024: six novels on the shortlist

The jury has shortlisted the following six novels for the German Book Prize 2024:

• Martina Hefter: Hey guten Morgen, wie geht es dir? (Klett-Cotta, July 2024)
• Maren Kames: Hasenprosa (Suhrkamp Verlag, March 2024)
• Clemens Meyer: Die Projektoren (S. Fischer Verlag, August 2024)
• Ronya Othmann: Vierundsiebzig (Rowohlt Verlag, March 2024)
• Markus Thielemann: Von Norden rollt ein Donner (Verlag C.H.Beck, July 2024)
• Iris Wolff: Lichtungen (Klett-Cotta, January 2024)

Regarding this selection, jury spokesperson Natascha Freundel (rbb) states: “For the shortlist of the German Book Prize 2024, we’ve selected novels that explore the light and darkness of our recent history in new ways, and that overcome narrative boundaries while also being great literary adventures. Each book is unique in both form and content: ‘Hey guten Morgen, wie geht es Dir?‘(‘Hey Good Morning, How Are You?’) – that’s how a text message can begin that connects Africa with Europe. A rabbit darts poetically side to side through the pop and art landscape; a “fragmentarist” rides on horseback through Europe’s history of violence, tracking down images from films in the process. What possibilities does storytelling have today, in a present that is outstripping itself? Especially when it comes to a genocide that few even know about: that of the Yazidis. Or when the ghosts of German bloodthirstiness come up against new rights on the northern German heath? And is ‘something like happiness’ possible, despite everything, when one person has gone while another stayed behind?”

Since the submission process began, the seven members of the jury have reviewed 197 titles published between October 2023 and 17 September 2024. In addition to Natascha Freundel, the members of the jury are: Gerrit Bartels (Der Tagesspiegel), Magda Birkmann (independent literary mediator and bookseller), Torsten Hoffmann (University of Stuttgart), Marianna Lieder (independent critic), Regina Moths (“Literatur Moths” bookshop) and Klaus Nüchtern (Falter magazine).

The German Book Prize is being awarded for the 20th time this year. The Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels (Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association) awards the prize to the best German-language novel of the year. The winner will receive 25,000 euros, the five finalists 2,500 euros each. The award ceremony will take place in the Kaisersaal of the Frankfurt Römer on 14 October 2024, to coincide with the start of the Frankfurter Buchmesse, and will be broadcast live. Those interested can watch the ceremony at www.deutscher-buchpreis.de.

The radio stations Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandfunk Kultur will also broadcast the event live via the special “Dokumente und Debatten” channel on digital radio and as a live stream on Dokumente und Debatten | deutschlandradio.de.

Deutsche Bank Stiftung (Deutsch Bank Foundation) is the main sponsor of the German Book Prize, and Frankfurter Buchmesse and the city of Frankfurt am Main are also partners. The television network Deutsche Welle supports the German Book Prize in its media activities both at home and abroad.

From early October, the website www.new-books-in-german.com will feature English translations of excerpts from the shortlisted titles, along with an English-language dossier about the shortlist.

The hashtag for the German Book Prize is #dbp24
The hashtag for the 20th anniversary of the prize is #dbp20Jahre

Downloads
Press photo and information about the nominated titles for download