Nava Ebrahimi wins Bachmann Prize

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Nava Ebrahimi

Photo: Clara Wildberger / dpa

The Bachmann Prize for German-language literature, endowed with 25,000 euros, goes to the author Nava Ebrahimi, who was born in Iran, grew up in Germany and lives in Austria.

According to the jury, she is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature.

The complicated and difficult text »The Cousin« about the escape story of a gay dancer also deals with one of the current core questions, namely how much show it takes for messages to be perceived at all.

The prize awarded by the city of Klagenfurt commemorates the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann (1926-1973).

Fourteen authors took part in the reading competition, including seven from Germany.

Ebrahimi studied journalism and economics in Cologne and worked as an editor for the "Financial Times Deutschland" and the "Kölner Stadtrevue".

In 2017 she was awarded the Austrian Book Prize as well as the Morgenstern Prize for her debut novel "Sixteen Words".

In 2020 her second book "My Neighbor's Paradise" was published.

Ebrahimi has lived in Graz with her family since 2012.

»In areas of cultural overlap«

In his laudation, juror Klaus Kastberger, who had also invited Ebrahimi to the competition, said the Klagenfurt text was the most complex that he knew from the author.

It shows what it means to write in areas of cultural overlap - born in Iran, raised in Germany, lives in Graz, it's so easy to say.

The literature offers possibilities that are not so easily possible in societies, and gives space to also report on personal suffering.

Several runoff elections were necessary for the pricing this year: Ebrahimi prevailed in a runoff against Dana Vowinckel, and several votes had to be taken until Necati Öziri won the KELAG Prize and Timon Karl Kaleyta won the 3sat Prize.

Öziri also won the

Audience award.

Here you can find the video of Ebrahimi's reading of »The Cousin« and the subsequent discussion by the jury.

hpi / dpa