Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç and Magdalena Schrefel Receive Honours at the 2026 Ingeborg Bachmann Prize

Suhrkamp Verlag is pleased to announce that two of our authors received honours at the 50th Ingeborg Bachmann Prize this year.

Magdalena Schrefel read her text »KIRSCHEN, HERZ MIT VERBAND« (CHERRIES, HEART WITH DRESSING), after being invited by juror Laura de Weck. In her public remarks, Laura de Weck described the text as »masterful«. In her piece about a woman dealing with a cancer diagnosis, Schrefel searches for the right words to talk about her condition with family and friends, and offers an insight into the struggle with a disease that affects one in eight women. The 3sat Prize, worth €7,500, was presented by 3sat coordinator Natalie Müller-Elmau.

Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç received this year’s Deutschlandfunk Prize for his text »Vater ohne Sohn« (Father Without a Son), having been invited by juror Mara Delius. In her public remarks, Delius emphasised that the text dared tackle big questions about guilt and forgiveness, faith and doubt. The prize, worth €12,500, was presented by Stefan Raue, Director-General of Deutschlandradio.

The competition for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize took place this year from 24 to 28 June 2026 in Klagenfurt, marking two anniversaries: it was the 50th instalment of the prize, and Ingeborg Bachmann, the award’s namesale, would have turned 100 this year.

The Ingeborg Bachmann Prize was awarded to the author Lena Schätte for her text »Was wir tragen«.