Literature - Peter Weiss Prize suspended: prize money for initiative
The awarding of the Peter Weiss Prize will be suspended in 2023, with the prize money of 15,000 euros going to a charitable initiative. This was announced by the city of Bochum on Friday following a new meeting of the jury. The author Sharon Dodua Otoo, who had been nominated for the award, had decided not to accept the prize due to the political accusations against her. The author, who took part in the meeting, had suggested that the prize money be given to the "Gesellschaft im Wandel" initiative, which promotes dialog on the subject of the Middle East conflict in schools in Germany.
Otoo had been accused of participating in a cultural boycott against the state of Israel. "The fact is: around eight years ago, Ms Otoo signed an appeal by the organization "Artists for Palestine UK" - from which she now firmly distances herself and from which she now wants to remove her name with the support of a lawyer," the jury emphasized. Sharon Dodua Otoo is still considered a "worthy winner" of the Peter Weiss Prize.
"Artists for Palestine UK" is considered to be close to BDS - "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions". The movement calls for a boycott of the state of Israel and Israeli products because of its actions against Palestinians.
A few days ago, Otoo took a clear stance against anti-Semitism in a statement and expressed her deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Hamas massacre on October 7.
Otoo lives in Berlin and was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2016.
The Peter Weiss Prize has been awarded every two years since 1990. It is named after the author, playwright, painter and filmmaker Peter Weiss (1916-1982), who is known, among other things, for the Auschwitz trial play "The Investigation".
Website of Sharon Dodua Otoo PM City of Bochum/Jury
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- Sharon Dodua Otoo suggested that the suspended Peter Weiss Prize money be utilized to support the "Gesellschaft im Wandel" initiative, which promotesdialog on the Middle East conflict in schools across Germany.
- The author Sharon Dodua Otoo, who was nominated for the Peter Weiss Prize, had initially faced accusations of participating in a cultural boycott against Israel due to her past association with the "Artists for Palestine UK" organization.
- The Peter Weiss Prize, which has been awarded every two years since 1990, was temporarily suspended in 2023, with the prize money of 15,000 euros redirected to a charitable initiative due to political controversies.
- Israeli artists and advocates have often criticized the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is considered close to the "Artists for Palestine UK" organization, for its call to boycott the state of Israel and Israeli products due to its actions against Palestinians.
- Sharon Dodua Otoo, who was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2016, expressed her strong stance against anti-Semitism before the controversy around the Peter Weiss Prize and offered her deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Hamas massacre on October 7.
- The jury, which decided to suspend the awarding of the Peter Weiss Prize, acknowledged that despite the political accusations, Sharon Dodua Otoo remains a worthy winner of the prestigious literary award.
Source: www.stern.de
