Austria's literary summer: New books and Bachmann Prize winner!

Austria's literary summer: New books and Bachmann Prize winner!

On June 30, 2025, Austrian literature will cause a sensation. Natascha Gangl wins the renowned Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in Klagenfurt, beating 13 competitors. The award is worth 25,000 euros and was given for her text “DA STA” (“The Stone”), which deals with a Nazi crime from the Second World War in Gangl’s homeland near the Slovenian border. The work impressed the jury not only with its pictorial language, but also with the dense atmosphere in which questions of remembering and forgetting are dealt with. Juror Brigitte Schwens-Harrant praised the text as “incredibly precisely designed” and noted the successful integration of dialect passages and observations of nature.

The award ceremony was part of the 49th Days of German-Language Literature, during which Gangl also received the BKS Bank Audience Prize for her text. Gangl now lives in Vienna and Styria, but has also spent time in Mexico and Spain. In her acceptance speech, she addressed the political situation in Styria, targeting the Slovenian minority and the FPÖ-led state government. Gangl, who writes spoken texts in addition to prose and essays, has developed a new radio play format called “Klangcomic” in collaboration with the band Rdeca Raketa.

News from the Austrian book scene

The literary supply in Austria remains strong. According to information from vienna.at Numerous new releases are expected in autumn 2025. Particularly noteworthy is Natascha Gangl's new book “Fresh Appelles & Other Speaking Texts”, which will also be published by Ritter Verlag.

Doris Knecht's novel “Yes, No, Maybe” as well as Anna Suck's “What Comes After” and Paul Lendvai's “Who Am I?” will be published on July 22, 2025. Gaea Schoeter's satirical novel “The Gift” will also be published on this day. On the 100th birthday of Ernst Jandl on August 1, 2025, Bernhard Fetz's biography about the famous poet will be published a week earlier.

A look into the future of literature

In the second half of August 2025, readers can look forward to Marco Wanda's literary debut “That We Ever Existed” and Marko Dinic's “Book of Faces”. Sarah Kuratle’s “Chimera” and Ana Drezga’s “Top Girls” will be released on August 21st. Eva Schmidt will also read from her new work “Beside Strangers” on this day.

With such a wealth of exciting new publications and Natascha Gangl's outstanding award, Austrian literature will continue to be characterized by creativity and commitment in 2025. Readers can look forward to the diverse voices and stories that will enrich the literary landscape throughout the year.