Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize announces 2026 shortlist

The shortlist for the 2026 Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize has been announced, featuring six nominated novels. The selection includes five female authors and one male author.

The nominees are Shida Bazyar for ‘Die Lücken’, Helene Bukowski for ‘Wer möchte nicht im Leben bleiben’, Heike Geißler for ‘Michaela Kohlhaas’, Lena Gorelik for ‘Alle meine Mütter’, Kerstin Preiwuß for ‘Wir alle’, and Tomer Gardi for ‘Liefern’.

Jury chair Wiebke Porombka stated that the nominations were based on quality, originality, and relevance rather than quotas. The selected works address various socio-political issues, such as racism, discrimination, and the realities of food delivery workers in cities like Berlin, Delhi, and Tel Aviv. The prize, which is awarded annually in November by Deutschlandfunk and the city of Braunschweig, carries a purse of 30,000 euros.