Literary prize for Martin Piekar and Christina Griebel

Awards - Literary prize for Martin Piekar and Christina Griebel

The Robert Gernhardt Prize 2024, worth 24,000 Euro, is evenly distributed between Martin Piekar and Christina Griebel. Both receive the Hessian Literature Prize for narrative projects. This was announced by Hessian Cultural Minister Timon Gremmels (SPD). The Land Hessen and the Hessian Economic and Infrastructure Bank jointly award the prize. It will be presented on September 19 in Frankfurt. Named after the deceased writer, poet, and cartoonist Robert Gernhardt.

Gremmels stated: "Both narrative projects have the family as a source of conflicts and forgiveness, silence and shared memories. They remind us that relationships are not carved in stone, and that some themes can influence and engage entire generations – until someone breaks the cycle of inherited burden."

Author since age 14

Martin Piekar, born in 1990 in Bad Soden am Taunus, began writing at the age of 14 according to the Hessian Cultural Ministry. He studied philosophy and history in Frankfurt and still lives there today. Piekar receives the prize for his narrative project "Vom Fällen eines Stammbaums". In it, he tells the story of a boy growing up with a depressed and alcoholic mother in a small apartment. Silence is passed down from generation to generation, and the family's traumas reach back to the National Socialist era.

"He never flew"

Christina Griebel, born in 1973 in Ulm, studied painting, art education, and German studies in Karlsruhe. Since 2015, she has been a professor for art education and educational sciences at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste there. She receives the Robert Gernhardt Prize for her narrative project "Er ist niemals geflogen". According to the Hessian Cultural Ministry, this project revolves around a rheinhessian family. At its core is the father of the I-narrator, who never travels without binoculars and a bird identification guide - and harbors a secret. In the text, various layers of memory overlap.

1. Martin Piekar and Christina Griebel, the recipients of the Robert Gernhardt Prize 2024, hail from different regions of Germany – Piekar is from Hesse, specifically Bad Soden am Taunus, while Griebel was born in Baden-Württemberg, in Ulm.
2. The literary distinction of the Robert Gernhardt Prize is not limited to Hesse; it is a joint initiative between the Land Hessen and the Hessian Economic and Infrastructure Bank, showcasing the national scope of recognition for literature.
3. The Hesse state and its cultural ministry, led by Timon Gremmels from the SDP, have a tradition of honoring literary merit with awards like the Robert Gernhardt Prize and the Hessian Literature Prize, further cementing Frankfurt's status as a literary hub.
4. The Robert Gernhardt Prize, named after the renowned German writer, poet, and cartoonist, is a prestigious honor for emerging authors like Martin Piekar and Christina Griebel, offering them both financial incentive and further exposure in the literary world.
5. Both Wiesbaden, the capital city of Hesse, and Frankfurt, the cultural hub of the state, have played significant roles in the literary scenes of Germany, hosting events, award ceremonies, and serving as homes for authors like Robert Gernhardt and the 2024 prize winners, Piekar and Griebel.

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