Klagenfurt - Bachmann Prize juror: No wheeling and dealing behind the scenes
In light of the recent debate about selection criteria for literary prizes, the annual competition for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, as viewed by the new jury chairman Klaus Kastberger, holds particular significance. Unlike most prizes, his jury does not deliberate behind closed doors, but in the presence of the candidates, in front of an audience, and under running TV cameras.
"Culture can only legitimize itself if we know it's not a farce behind the scenes," Kastberger told the German Press Agency. Starting on Thursday (27.6.), 14 authors and authors will present their prose texts during the 48th German-language Literature Festival in Klagenfurt, Austria, the hometown of Literat Ingeborg Bachmann (1926-1973). The awarding of the eponymous, 25,000 Euro-prize will take place on Sunday (30.6.).
"The Bachmann Prize is not objective"
In May, two former jurors of the International Literature Prize sparked a debate in the weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" with their report. They accused the selection process for the 2023 prize of not being based on literary criteria but on identity politics, such as skin color or origin. The House of World Cultures in Berlin, one of the prize sponsors, dismissed these allegations. The titles were chosen based on their literary merit.
Kastberger pointed out that the members of the Bachmann Prize jury, despite their expertise and competition rules, also make subjective and emotional judgments. "The Bachmann Prize is not objective," he said. It's important that "this is a public debate and that it's discussed in front of a public audience."
Field of participants with a lot of stage experience
This year, each jury member selected two texts for the Bachmann competition. For instance, Austrian writer and cabaret artist Ulrike Haidacher is invited, having developed her debut novel "Die Party" from a stage program.
Notably, a considerable number of candidates this year come from a theatrical background. Among them are the Swiss spoken-word artist and musician Jurczok or Poetry-Slam talent Miedya Mahmod from Dortmund.
Swiss author Sarah Elena Mueller is not only a novelist but also part of the pop duo Cruise Ship Misery. Olivia Wenzel, who made it to the longlist of the German Book Prize in 2020 with "1000 Serpentinen Angst," has theater literature, music, and performance in her repertoire.
The Mainz author Sophie Stein is also an actress in the participant pool, while the Slovenian Tamara Stajner is both a poet and a classically trained violinist.
However, it doesn't always have to be theater art: Among the participants this year are the Swiss cartoonist and author Semi Eschmamp and the Bonn resident Denis Pfabe, who works three days a week as a forklift driver in a gardening store. The Austrian Johanna Sebauer is a writer, but "in real life, she works in science communication," according to her competition profile.
Other participants are professionally anchored in language and literature, such as the Bosnian author and German teacher Tijan Sila, the Saxony-Anhalt-based literary figure and literary agent Christine Koschmieder, or the Polish-Austrian Kaska Bryla, who co-founded the magazine "PS – Politisch Schreiben."
Among the candidates, there are several winners of other Literature Prizes. Henrik Szanto can present a special honor: For his book "It has eighteen letters and nine of them are Ypsilons", he was awarded the Prize for the "Most Unusual Book Title of the Year" in 2019.
- The annual competition for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize will take place this year in Klagenfurt, Austria, as revealed by the German Press Agency.
- Starting on Thursday, 14 authors with diverse backgrounds, including cabaret artist Ulrike Haidacher and spoken-word artist Jurczok from Switzerland, will present their prose texts at the festival.
- The German-language Literature Festival, held in the hometown of Literat Ingeborg Bachmann, will culminate in the awarding of the 25,000 Euro-prize on Sunday.
- The debate about selection criteria for literary prizes has been a hot topic, with two former jurors of the International Literature Prize accusing the process of not being based on literary merit but on identity politics.
- The jury chair for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, Klaus Kastberger, emphasizes that while the selection process involves objective and subjective judgments, it is crucial for the debate to take place in the public eye.
- The German Press Agency reported Kastberger's statement that culture can only legitimize itself if the selection process is transparent and free from the appearance of being a farce.
- Television coverage of the award ceremony will provide a wide audience the opportunity to observe the selection process and form their own opinions about the validity of the awards.
