Reading of the Prize Winners 2026

On the one hand, the authors focus on the world between cultures and continents; on the other, they choose hyper-specific settings and microcosms to paint a precise picture of realities, characters and relationships from small details. In terms of content, they address questions of masculinity, queerness and trans identity. They repeatedly reflect on life between different cultures and languages, as well as on the constraints or promise of home.

The texts tell of relationships, love, intimacy and the longing for closeness and understanding, but also of loneliness, vulnerability and alienation. They explore bodily injury, illness, death and memory, depicting farewells, funerals and dysfunctional family dynamics. Repeated attention is paid to the exploration of the phenomenon of time.

The authors navigate between childhood memories, traditions and their questions about the future. Will it even take place at all, given the realities of climate change? Alongside this, there are texts on resistance and rebellion, and generational conflicts are depicted. Some texts address their subjects with calm and composure, whilst others speak with vehement urgency and are filled with anger and strength.

With

Henriette Bayer, Lennart Kammler – Moderators

Winners of the 2026 Young Authors’ Gathering

• Swantje Bitterling – Limburg an der Lahn, Hesse
• Clara Christ – Suhl, Thuringia
• Colin Demski – Willich, North Rhine-Westphalia
• Jovana Eleni Engel – Kranichfeld, Thuringia
• Victoria Annabelle Esenwein – Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia
• Lara Marie Feldhausen – Hattingen, North Rhine-Westphalia
• Emma Guttmann – Halfing, Bavaria
• Ezra Hahn – Dresden, Saxony
• Luise Heidl – Berlin
• Felix Hohe – Braunschweig, Lower Saxony
• Katharina Könneke – Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
• Tonda Montasser – Berlin
• Furkan Pinar – Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia
• Anna Radano – Berlin
• Clara Staats – Buchholz, Lower Saxony
• Lilian Treffinger – Marburg, Hesse
• Karis Weller – Herbrechtingen, Baden-Württemberg
• Yujin Wildemann – Berlin
• Sarah Zeiss – Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg