There are six titles left in the running for the German Book Prize. This year’s shortlist is a compilation of important epics, often with reference to (German) history and the political present. Who will receive the award will be announced at the ceremony this Monday, October 5th – the day before the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair. The German Book Prize is considered one of the most important awards in the industry. In total, the jury viewed 205 titles that were published between autumn 2025 and the beginning of September 2026. Initially, 20 books were selected for the longlist, which was then shortened to the six-title shortlist.
These novels are in the final selection:
Shida Bazyars „Die Lücken“ (Kiepenheuer & Witsch) is a novel about Germany coming to terms with the past and the refusal to do so using the example of a fictional village in the Hunsrück. Bazyar (who was also nominated for the International Booker Prize with her novel “It’s Quiet at Night in Tehran”) tells stories from Jewish families and Nazi profiteers to families who flee Iran decades later.
Franziska Gänsler’s “Orca” (No & But) is the coming-of-age story of a young sausage seller in times of climate activism. It’s about belonging and friendship, climate justice and radicalization.
Valeria Gordeev’s “The cicada escapes from its shiny golden shell” (S. Fischer) is the only debut on the list. The collage novel, illustrated by the Bachmann Prize winner herself, is about a family between Kiev, Moscow and Berlin and a world that has fallen apart.
Elias Hirschls “Grind” (Zsolnay) is a crazy novel of ideas that explores language to its limits.
Peggy Mädler’s “Self-Regulation of the Heart” (Galiani Berlin) is located in the GDR and in the newly reunified Germany. It also tells the story of cybernetics in the GDR.
Dana Vowinckel’s “Anton and Alma” (Suhrkamp) tells a great love story that is intertwined with a story about the consequences of the terror of October 7th, when Hamas attacked Israel.