Literature prize for Gernhardt: Thiede and Bach receive 30,000 euros!

Literature prize for Gernhardt: Thiede and Bach receive 30,000 euros!

There is the latest news from the literary landscape in Hesse: Lina Thiede and Kathrin Bach were awarded the Robert Gernhardt Prize 2023. This was announced by the Hessian Minister of Culture Timon Gremmels (SPD). The prize, worth 30,000 euros, will be shared between the two talented authors and honors works that deal with topics such as exclusion, belonging and social roles. The award ceremony will take place on September 18th in Frankfurt, and the winning stories are currently still being written.

Kathrin Bach, who was born in Wiesbaden in 1988, has already published several volumes of poetry as well as her debut novel “Life Insurance”. Her current project is entitled “The example of my uncle” and deals with a man of short stature. Lina Thiede, born in Giessen in 1996, has also made quite a stir in the literary scene. She has published three novels and is now working on Weaving in the Night, which describes the life of a young mother in a hostile village. This prize is named after the renowned writer Robert Gernhardt (1937-2006), whose influence on German literature has been lasting.

Background of the price

The Robert Gernhardt Prize is awarded by the state of Hesse and the Economic and Infrastructure Bank of Hesse. This award is not only a sign of respect for the authors' respective cultural and social contributions, but also contributes to the visibility of new literary voices and their topics. The prize stands for a culture of appreciation and promotion of literature that brings social issues to the fore. According to the results of a research project that deals with literary awards in German-speaking countries, prizes play a crucial role in the diversification of the literary field and the ennobling of new genres.

This project will also explore how literary awards can help recognize marginalized voices in literature. It becomes clear here that the promotion of literary projects such as those pursued by Thiede and Bach is essential for the further development of literary dialogue. Such awards help to question the hierarchies of traditional literary evaluations and introduce new themes into the canon. Despite a large number of awards, the quality of these awards is always discussed; An increase in awards can be seen as both recognition and an expression of inflation in the literary scene.

There is definitely great anticipation for the award ceremony on September 18th, and we can look forward to seeing what creative impulses will come from the two award winners. It remains to be hoped that their works will not only enrich the literary landscape, but also provide impetus for discussions about the issues that affect us all - after all, that's what matters!

For further information about the award ceremony and the award winners, you can read the reports on FAZ and Augsburger Allgemeine as well as the DFG project University of Duisburg-Essen track.