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Bachmann Prizes 2025: Klagenfurt under the sign of literature!
The Bachmann Prizes will be awarded on June 29, 2025 at the ORF Theater Klagenfurt. 14 authors compete for prestigious awards with their texts.
Bachmann Prizes 2025: Klagenfurt under the sign of literature!
Today, June 29, 2025, the renowned Ingeborg Bachmann Prize will be awarded in Klagenfurt. This competition, considered an important springboard for aspiring writers, attracts numerous literature lovers every year and transforms the city into a literary center. Authors and audiences meet in the ORF Theater to celebrate unpublished texts and choose the best works.
The event, which began on June 25, was kicked off with an impressive speech by 2021 Bachmann Prize winner Nava Ebrahimi. This opened the 49th edition of the Days of German Language Literature, which is seen by many as the highlight of the literary calendar. Small newspaper reports that the readings will be broadcast live by the media and that many literature enthusiasts will have the opportunity to take part in the literature public viewing on site in the ORF Garden or in Lendhafen.
The favorites and the jury
The readings by the 14 participating authors provided a breath of fresh air in the favorites round. Particularly highlighted was Nora Osagiobare, whose text was celebrated by the jury as the “winning text”. Almut Tina Schmidt also received great praise, while Boris Schumatsky was described by Mara Delius as the author of “probably the best text this year”. Other favorites include:
- Natascha Gangl mit „Da Sta“ – ein Text über Sprache und Identität im Grenzgebiet zwischen Österreich, Ungarn und Slowenien.
- Thomas Bissinger mit „Nilpferd“ – ein Auszug aus seinem historischen Romanprojekt „Ehrenfest“.
- Kay Matter mit „Doppelzweier Leichtgewicht“.
- Nefeli Kavouras mit „Zentaur“.
- Sophie Sumburane mit „Sickergrubenblau“.
The jury, chaired by Klaus Kastberger, is made up of experienced literary critics, including Mara Delius, Laura de Weck, Mithu Sanyal, Brigitte Schwens-Harrant, Thomas Strässle and Philipp Tingler. Kastberger was critical of the current situation in the cultural sector and spoke about necessary investments in the literary landscape.
Prizes and new initiatives
In addition to the Bachmann Prize, which this year is endowed with 25,000 euros, several other awards will be presented. The price distribution looks like this:
| Price | doping |
|---|---|
| Bachmann Prize | 25,000 euros |
| Deutschlandfunk Prize | 12,500 euros |
| Kelag Prize | 10,000 euros |
| 3sat price | 7,500 euros |
| BKS Bank Audience Award | 7,000 euros |
New this year is the “Carinthian Summer” scholarship worth 3,000 euros and the opening of the new Bachmann House at Henselstrasse 26, which is dedicated to the life and work of the important author. My Klagenfurt highlights how important Klagenfurt is as a partner for such cultural events.
The anticipation is palpable. While Klagenfurt is today dominated by literature, we can hope for an exciting awards ceremony and a literary festival that will enrich the city and its residents. Let's wait and see which author will take home the coveted award this year!
My district rounds off the coverage of the opening of the competition and shows the special atmosphere in Klagenfurt during this event.