Clemens J. Setz awarded Great Austrian State Prize

Writer Clemens J. Setz has been awarded the 2026 Great Austrian State Prize, the highest artistic honor in the Republic of Austria. The award includes a prize of 30,000 euros.

Culture Minister Andreas Babler will present the certificate, describing Setz as one of the most significant voices in contemporary Austrian literature. The Art Senate, which proposed the award, noted that for a decade and a half, Setz has expanded the German-speaking literary landscape as a poet of the avant-garde.

In response to the recognition, Setz expressed a degree of modesty, suggesting he might be too adapted to be considered true avant-garde. His work has been characterized by the Ministry as possessing a deep empathy for the unconventional and an exploration of the abyss through poetry.