German Book Prize 2008: publishers submit 145 novels

94 publishing companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland taking part / Rainer Moritz is the judges’ spokesperson / Prize ceremony on 13 October in the Kaisersaal at Frankfurt’s Römer

Rainer Moritz, director of the Literaturhaus in Hamburg, is the judges’ spokesperson for the German Book Prize 2008. This has been decided by the panel of seven judges who now begin with the process of selection for the German Book Prize 2008. By the closing date at the end of March, 145 German-language novels had been submitted by 71 publishing companies from Germany, 13 from Austria and 10 from Switzerland – a record number in the German Book Prize’s fourth year.

Just under half of the novels submitted are spring titles (70), 67 titles are scheduled for publication in the summer and autumn and 8 novels are from 2007 autumn lists. Each publishing company was entitled to submit a maximum of two novels direct. Publishing companies are also given the option of recommending up to five more titles which meet the submission criteria. From this list of 61 novels, the judges can call for additional titles.

Alongside Rainer Moritz, the other judges on the panel for the German Book Prize 2008 are: Christoph Bartmann (director of the Culture and Information Department at the Goethe-Institut), Martin Ebel (culture editor at the Tages-Anzeiger, Zürich), Meike Fessmann (freelance critic), Jens Jessen (head of the feature section at DIE ZEIT), Manfred Keiper (manager, “andere Buchhandlung”, Rostock) and Michael Schmitt (editor, “Kulturzeit, 3sat).

The longlist of around 20 titles will be announced on 20 August 2008. The judges will choose six of these titles for the shortlist which will be published on 17 September 2008. On 13 October, the evening of the award ceremony, the six authors will find out which of them has won the German Book Prize.

Information on the German Book Priz 2008 can be accessed at www.germanbookprize.de

Frankfurt am Main, 14 April 2008

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