Klagenfurt - Tijan Sila wins the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize 2024
Tijan Silan won the Ingeborg-Bachmann Prize worth 25,000 Euro. The author, born in Sarajevo and living in Kaiserslautern, convinced the jury during the days of the German-language literature in Klagenfurt, Austria, with his text "The Day My Mother Went Mad", in which he writes about intergenerational trauma, family conflicts, and madness. Juror Philipp Tingler spoke of a unique linguistic "mixture of precision, tragicomedy, and melancholy". "I'm still not quite getting my head around it, but I'm euphoric nonetheless", said Silan after the award ceremony.
Tijan Silan was born in 1981. He came to Germany as a refugee in 1994. In Heidelberg, he studied Germanistics and English. In 2017, his first novel "Tierchen Unlimited" was published, followed by "The Flag of Wishes" and "Crash". The text for the Bachmann Competition is part of his next novel. Silan is not only a writer but also works as a German teacher in a school.
The prize, which has been awarded since 1977 by the city of Klagenfurt, the hometown of Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann (1926-1973). Last year, German author Valeria Gordeev won it.
Tijan Silan, born in Sarajevo, found success in Germany after arriving as a refugee in 1994. He studied Germanistics and English in Heidelberg and has since published several novels, including "Tierchen Unlimited" and "The Flag of Wishes." The jury in Switzerland, during the Klagenfurt literature festival in Austria, was greatly impressed by his family drama titled "The Day My Mother Went Mad," earning him the prestigious Ingeborg-Bachmann Prize worth 25,000 Euro.
The text that secured Silan's win at the competition is set to be part of his upcoming novel. In addition to being an author, he works as a German teacher in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The prize has been an annual event in Klagenfurt since 1977, honoring works in the German language, initiated by the city that was home to the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann.
The previous year saw German author Valeria Gordeev receiving the same award. After the ceremony, Silan couldn't contain his emotions, expressing his appreciation in a combination of awe, disbelief, and happiness, saying, "I'm still not quite getting my head around it, but I'm euphoric nonetheless."
The unique quality of the story, deemed a "mixture of precision, tragicomedy, and melancholy" by juror Philipp Tingler, placed Silan in an exclusive group of award-winning authors. Silan's family drama not only resonated with the jury but is also set to make waves in Germany's television outlook, with the potential for adaptation on German TV.
His compelling text about intergenerational trauma, family conflicts, and madness demonstrated an eloquent grasp of the intricacies of the human condition. "The Day My Mother Went Mad" is expected to continue gaining attention, given the timely relevance of its themes in the wider literary community.
Silan's success at the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize competition represents a significant achievement for the promising author. With a devotion to writing and teaching, his story is a testament to the power of resilience and determination. The prize carries immense prestige in the German-language literature world, contributing significantly to the author's standing within the competitive literary landscape.
