Leipzig Book Fair Prize 2011 laureate Clemens J. Setz

Clemens J. Setz was awarded the Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair 2011 for his collection of short stories Die Liebe zur Zeit des Mahlstädter Kindes.

The Austrian is considered one of the most renowned young German-speaking authors at the mere age of 29. His stories are furnished with grotesque ideas and subtle horror, full of violent moments and tender gestures. Setz presents himself in short form as a sharp observer of human nature and an empathetic, almost loving portraitist of its idiosyncrasies.

The jury states: »The determining factors were his audacious composition, the originality of the language, and the persistence of carrying out the concept which leads simultaneously to innovative and uncanny stories. They get down to business with a disillusioning perspective on human kind, which we have accepted for the purposes of natural sciences but which we have successfully glossed over in the cultural sphere. […] The prize acknowledges a sinister and surprising experiment in prose in which a young writer dares going all in with the means of language.«

For more information on Die Liebe zur Zeit des Mahlstädter Kindes and other works by Clemens J. Setz please visit the author's Foreign Rights website or contact the respective Rights Manager.