Festival Of German-Language Literature

The Festival of German-Language Literature (german: Tage der deutschsprachigen Literatur, links=no) is a literary event which takes place annually in Klagenfurt, Austria. During this major literary festival which lasts for several days a number of awards are given, the major one being the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, first awarded in 1977 and one of the most important awards for literature in the German language.

History

In the mid seventies, the journalist and writer Humbert Fink and the chairman of the Austrian Radio and TV (ORF) studio in Carinthia at that time, Ernst Willner, decided to establish a literary competition based on an event held by Gruppe 47. They were able to enlist Marcel Reich-Ranicki amongst others onto the original jury. The result was the Festival of German-Language Literature, which has taken place annually since 1977 and is televised live by ORF.

The Ingeborg Bachmann Prize

The main prize of the Festival is given in memory of Ingeborg Bachmann (25 June 1926 – 17 October 1973), one of the most distinguished Austrian writers.

The prize winner is determined during a three-day reading event in which the invited candidates present their literary contributions, which have to be unpublished, to the nine-member professional jury and the public. Each presentation is about 25 minutes long and the original language of these contributions must be German. A moderator presents and guides the readings and the discussions of the jury and the writers have to convince both the jury and the public of the quality of their contributions.

In 2008, the jury was reduced to seven members, the competing writers from eighteen to fourteen. Since 2006, the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize has been endowed with 25,000 EUR.

Other prizes

Several other literature prizes are awarded during the Festival, in total usually three to five awards. Over the years, additional sponsored prizes have been awarded:
* Deutschlandfunk Prize (EUR 12,500)
* Jury Prize, aka Kelag-Prize (since 2000, EUR 10,000)
* 3sat Prize (given by 3sat, EUR 7,500)
* BKS Bank Audience Prize (since 2002, EUR 7,000)

* Ernst Willner Prize (EUR 7,000)
* Editor's special prize

Prize winners

* 2022 Festival
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: : ''Wechselkröte''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: : ''Einige Landesgrenzen weiter östlich, von hier aus gesehen''
*:* Kelag Prize: : ''Im Falle des Druckabfalls''
*:* 3sat Prize: : ''Liste der Dinge, die nicht so sind, wie sie sein sollten''
*:* BKS Prize of the Audience: : ''Staublunge''

* 2021 Festival
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: Nava Ebrahimi: ''Der Cousin''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: : ''Gewässer im Ziplock''
*:* Kelag Prize: : ''Morgen wache ich auf und dann beginnt das Leben''
*:* 3sat Prize: : ''Mein Freund am See''
*:* BKS Prize of the Audience: Necati Öziri

* 2020 Festival (virtual)
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: Helga Schubert: ''Vom Aufstehen''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: Lisa Krusche: ''Für bestimmte Welten kämpfen und gegen andere''
*:* Kelag Prize: Egon Christian Leitner: ''Immer im Krieg''
*:* 3sat Prize: Laura Freudenthaler: ''Der heißeste Sommer''
*:* BKS Prize of the Audience: Lydia Haider: ''Der große Gruß ''

* 2019 Festival
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: Birgit Birnbacher: ''Der Schrank''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: Leander Fischer: ''Nymphenverzeichnis Muster Nummer eins Goldkopf''
*:* Kelag Prize: Julia Jost: ''Unweit vom Schakaltal''
*:* 3sat Prize: Yannic Han Biao Federer: ''Kenn ich nicht''
*:* BKS Prize of the Audience: Ronya Othmann: ''Vierundsiebzig''

* 2018 Festival
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: Tanya Malyarchuk: ''Frösche im Meer''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: Bov Bjerg: ''SERPENTINEN''
*:* Kelag Prize: Özlem Özgül Dündar: ''und ich brenne''
*:* 3sat Prize: Anna Stern: ''Warten auf Ava''
*:* BKS Prize of the Audience: Raphaela Edelbauer: ''Das Loch''

*2017 Festival
*:* Ingeborg Bachmann Prize: Ferdinand Schmalz: ''mein lieblingstier heißt winter''
*:* Deutschlandfunk Prize: John Wray: ''Madrigal''
*:* Kelag Prize: Eckhart Nickel