Young voices of literature

The Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft has been awarding prizes to young, outstanding voices in contemporary literature since 1953. This year, the jury, headed by Dr. Marcella Prior-Callwey, nominated Barbi Marković, Dana Vowinckel and Wilke Weermann for the shortlist of the literary prize, which is endowed with 20,000 euros.

For the first time, the three shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to present their work at a public reading at the Münchner Kammerspiele. In discussions with literary critic Miryam Schellbach, the finalists will give a direct insight into their writing and their works. The three authors will be joined by the director of the Münchner Kammerspiele, Barbara Mundel, and actors from the Kammerspiele ensemble.

Following the reading, this year’s jury, which is made up of the expert advisors Barbara Mundel (artistic director of Münchner Kammerspiele), Regina Dyck (festival director of poetry on the road) and Dr. Angelika Otto (literary scholar and journalist) as well as members of the Literature Committee of the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft, will select the 2024 Literature Prize winner.

About the Literature Prize of the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft:

Over the past 70 years, the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft has honored more than 200 personalities who were still at the beginning of their artistic careers at the time of the sponsorship. They include, among others: Heinrich Böll (1953), Ingeborg Bachmann (1955), Hans Erich Nossack (1957), Günter Grass (1958), Nelly Sachs (1959), Thomas Bernhard (1967), Elias Canetti (1971), Peter Huchel (1977), Robert Menasse (1992), Daniel Kehlmann (1998), Elke Erb (2007), Wolfgang Herrndorf (2012), Clemens J. Setz (2013), Nora Gomringer (2013), Nino Haratischwili (2015), Judith Zander (2015) and Lukas Rietzschel (2023).

About the Cultural Circle of German Business:

The Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft im BDI e. V. is the most traditional institution for corporate cultural sponsorship in Germany. It has been supporting young artists in the fields of architecture, visual arts, literature and music since 1951. The Literature Prize Text & Language is supported by donations from the Deutsche Bank Foundation in 2024.

Barbi Marković

c

Apollonia Theresa Bitzan

Dana Vowinckel

c

Heike Steinweg

Wilke Weermann

c

Antine Yzer

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