Internationaler Literaturpreis 2026: Fest der Shortlist und Preisverleihung

The shortlist for the Internationaler Literaturpreis - Preis für übersetzte Gegenwartsliteraturen 2026 has been announced To the shortlist

The International Prize for Literature (ILP) will be awarded for the eighteenth time in 2026. It honors an outstanding work of international contemporary literature and its first translation into German. This dual focus makes it unique in the German prize landscape.

The Internationaler Literaturpreis concentrates on heterogeneous forms of contemporary narrative and focuses on the relationships between texts and realities as well as the dialog between different cultures and languages. By focusing on translations, it aims to overcome national canonizations and limited understandings of the literary and thus take into account the current conditions of literary creation in a world shaped by diverse cultural interdependencies.

The list of previous prizewinners is a testament to the richness of contemporary literature worldwide and the productivity of literary translation in German-speaking countries.

Since 2023, German first translations of international poetry can also be submitted. The International Literature Prize is endowed with 35,000 euros (20,000 euros for the author, 15,000 euros for the translator).

Publishers who publish international literature in German translation were able to submit up to three titles by January 20, 2026. An independent jury first nominated a shortlist from all submissions and then selected the prize duo of author and translator in a second step.

The authors, translators and jury members will present the nominated titles in readings and discussions. The winning duo will then be honored at an award ceremony.

With:
Larissa Bender, Julia Cimafiejeva, Safae el Khannoussi, Stella Gaitano, V. V. Ganeshananthan, Bahram Moradi, Stefanie Ochel, Sarah Rauchfuß, Timea Tankó, András Visky, Tina Wünschmann, Sophie Zeitz