German Book Prize winner to be announced in Frankfurt

The winner of the 2026 German Book Prize will be announced this Monday evening at the Frankfurt Römer. The award, which honors the best German-language novel of the year, features a six-title shortlist selected from 205 entries by a seven-member jury.

Shida Bazyar is considered the frontrunner with her novel “Die Lücken” (The Gaps). The book, which has received widespread critical acclaim, explores 90 years of German history through a fictional Hunsrück village, addressing Nazi-era complicity and migration experiences. The narrative is told from the perspective of a ghost to uncover silenced history.

Other finalists include Elias Hirschl for “Schleifen”, Franziska Gänsler for “Orca”, Valeria Gordeev for “Die Zikade entschlüpft ihrer goldglänzenden Hülle”, Peggy Mädler for “Selbstregulierung des Herzens”, and Dana Vowinckel for “Anton und Alma”. The winner will receive 25,000 euros, while the other shortlisted authors will each receive 2,500 euros. The ceremony takes place on the eve of the Frankfurt Book Fair.