German Book Prize 2026 longlist: 20 novels in contention, 17 first-time nominees

The longlist

The Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels announced the longlist on 11 August 2026, placing 20 novels in contention for one of the German-language literary world's most prominent awards. A seven-member jury sifted 205 titles published between autumn 2025 and early September 2026. According to ORF, 106 German-language publishers had formally submitted 180 novels for consideration. Of the 20 selected authors, 17 are nominated for the first time, and six of the novels are debuts.

The list spans established names and newcomers. Heinz Strunk, nominated for "Memories of Heidelberg" (Rowohlt), and Ingo Schulze, nominated for "Das Wasser im August" (S. Fischer), bring the most name recognition. Shida Bazyar, on the list with "Die Lücken" (Kiepenheuer & Witsch), was nominated for the International Booker Prize earlier this year for her debut "Nachts ist es leise in Teheran." Helene Bukowski, nominated for "Wer möchte nicht im Leben bleiben" (Claassen), about the suicide of a young pianist who grew up in the GDR, was previously shortlisted for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize. Valeria Gordeev, whose debut "Die Zikade entschlüpft ihrer goldglänzenden Hülle" appears on the list (S. Fischer), won the Ingeborg-Bachmann-Preis in 2023. The Austrian author Elias Hirschl, based in Vienna, was nominated for "Schleifen" (Paul Zsolnay Verlag).

The jury's rationale

Jury spokesperson Cornelia Geißler of the Berliner Zeitung framed the selection around themes of historical inquiry and contemporary disorientation.

Exploring the past to understand the present - that is found in our selection of the novels of the year 2026 in very different ways. Style-conscious, innovative, certainly also with wit, the authors show the vulnerability of their characters, accompany new beginnings into a different future. How is one to find one's way in a world where uncertainty is taking hold? We are convinced: reading helps. These are the books for that.

The Tagesspiegel noted that Geißler also emphasized biographical multilingualism as a feature of this year's selection, citing novels such as Tomer Gardi's "Liefern" about delivery drivers, Muri Darida's "King Cobra" tracing a Hungarian family history, Alisha Gamisch's "Parasiti" following three Russian-German women, and Karosh Taha's "Gulistan" about Kurdish persecution under Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Notable absences

Several prominent titles did not make the list. The Tagesspiegel identified Caroline Wahl's "1999 Meter über dem Meer," Sven Regener's "Frankie und Freddie," Maxim Biller's "Schwarzer September," and Eva Menasse's "Alleinruhelage" as conspicuous omissions. Lutz Seiler's "Das tickende Herz" and Daniel Kehlmann's "Afrika" were published too late in the year to be eligible. A paperback with reading samples from all 20 nominated titles will be available free in bookstores, and further information is posted on www.deutscher-buchpreis.de.

What happens next

The longlist will be narrowed to a six-title shortlist on 8 September. The winner will be announced on 5 October 2026 at the Kaisersaal of the Frankfurt Römer, on the eve of the Frankfurt Book Fair, with the ceremony broadcast live. The prize, created in 2005 by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels as a marketing instrument for German-language literature, is endowed with a total of 37,500 euros: the winner receives 25,000 euros, and each of the remaining five shortlisted authors receives 2,500 euros. Last year's award went to the Swiss author Dorothee Elmiger for "Die Holländerinnen."