Youth Literature Prize in Bad Nauheim: Talents honored and celebrated!

Youth Literature Prize in Bad Nauheim: Talents honored and celebrated!

On September 17, 2025, the 22nd Ovag Youth Literature Prize was awarded in the Bad Nauheimer Dolce. The event attracted numerous guests, including parents, grandparents and literature enthusiasts, who wanted to celebrate the region's best young authors together. Accompanied by music from the band OXID, who opened the evening with a song by Tim Bendzko, the winners were honored in a fitting setting.

A total of 22 prizes went to talented young writers. Emilia Bauer from Schrecksbach secured first place, while Cheyenne Kubala from Gründau took home second prize and Marie Luise Wäß from Ortenberg took home third prize. The winners not only received certificates and prizes, but also had to accept them live, which gave the event a special appeal. The laudator Denise Schweida, non-fiction editor at Droemer & Knaur Verlag, highlighted, among other things, the importance of writing in finding one's identity and emphasized how important it is to find one's own voice in times of false reports.

Special awards

In addition, group work was honored as part of the Karlhans Frank Memorial Prize, with class 10a of the Landgraf-Ludwigs-Gymnasium Gießen being awarded 800 euros for their excellent work in the competition. The entire class 8 aR at the Gedern comprehensive school also received 600 euros for their efforts, while the “Creative Writing” course at the Schrenzerschule Butzbach was rewarded with 400 euros. Commendations went to several classes and courses that had also distinguished themselves through their literary talent, and they each received 200 euros.

The role of Ovag in promoting literature

Ovag has been promoting literature for 22 years now and bringing stories to schools through extensive editing. This shows how committed the company is to promoting reading and valuing the stories of young talents. Oswin Veith, CEO of Ovag, emphasized the fundamental role of writing in today's world, especially as a counterpoint to often spread misinformation. The event has not only established itself as a platform for young authors, but also promotes a passion for literature as a whole.

As the award in Bad Nauheim shows, interest in literature is unbroken. The event in 2022, where the Youth Literature Prize already spread a joyful atmosphere, also brought talented young authors to the stage, including the winner Emilia Bauer, who was awarded for her work “The Taste of Blueberries”. It is clear that the promotion of literature is firmly anchored here in the region and will continue to exist in the future in order to hear and support young voices.

A strong reading culture is important not only for personal development, but also for society as a whole. The German Youth Literature Prize, which also serves to promote the development of children's and youth literature and highlight important new publications, shows that the commitment to literature is being tirelessly promoted. Offers such as the Kranichstein children's and youth literature scholarship provide additional support for this process.

For anyone interested in literature, the support and interest in up-and-coming authors will continue to be an exciting topic in the future. The next opportunity to discover and promote such talent will certainly not be long in coming.