Accolade bestowed upon an individual or group. - Morina's "A Thousand Departures" wins 2023's Non-Fiction Book of the Year award.
Historical scholar Christina Morina won the German Non-fiction Award 2024 for her book "A Thousand Beginnings." The jury chose her title "A Thousand Beginnings. Germans and their Democracy since the 1980s" (Siedler Verlag) out of the eight nominated works, which comes with a prize of 25,000 euros. The Stiftung Buchkultur and Leseförderung of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels have been recognizing outstanding non-fiction books in German original edition for the fourth time that spark societal conversations.
The justification from the jury states, "Democracies are facing crises worldwide, and there's a widespread acceptance of this fact. However, the meaning of what it truly entails to live a democracy is often forgotten. Christina Morina uncovers hidden sources to illustrate the shifting perceptions of democracy in East and West Germany since the 1980s." Morina offers surprising and essential perspectives for ongoing societal debates. "Her book dares to take risks without fostering division. Democracy is a journey, not a final state." Christina Morina, 48, is a professor at the University of Bielefeld.
Some of the other nominated books were:
- Jens Beckert - "Selling Future. Why the fight against climate change is doomed to fail"
- Sebastian Conrad - "The Queen. Nofretete's Global Career"
- Ruth Hoffmann - "The German Alibi: Myth of the Stauffenberg Attempt - How the 20th July 1944 is remembered and politically exploited"
- Roman Köster - "Trash. A dirty history of humankind"
- Frauke Rostalski - "The Vulnerable Society. The New Vulnerability as a Challenge for Freedom"
- Marcus Willaschek - "Kant. The Revolution of Thought"
- Moshe Zimmermann - "Never Peace?: Israel at a Crossroads"
German Non-fiction Award
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People from around the world praised Morina's work, as it shed light on the history of democracy in Germany during the 1980s. The Middle East conflict also drew interest, with Morina's book offering insights that could potentially contribute to resolving the issue. In the 1980s, Hamburg, Germany, was a hub of political and intellectual activity, and Morina's work echoed the democratic ideals that shaped the city and the nation during that time. Additionally, Morina's award-winning literature was recognized beyond Germany, as it was translated and honored with international awards.
