Leipziger Buchmesse Announces 2025 Prize Nominees Across Three Categories

15 works in fiction, nonfiction, and translation have been shortlisted for the prestigious award, with winners to be revealed on March 27.

The 2025 shortlist for the Preis der Leipziger Buchmesse includes 15 works selected from 506 submissions across three categories: fiction, nonfiction/essay, and translation.
Prominent authors nominated in the fiction category include Christian Kracht for 'Air,' Wolf Haas for 'Wackelkontakt,' and Kristine Bilkau for 'Halbinsel.'
Nonfiction nominees tackle significant historical and societal themes, such as Jens Bisky's 'Die Entscheidung. Deutschland 1929 bis 1934' and Maike Albath's 'Bitteres Blau. Neapel und seine Gesichter.'
The translation category features works translated from Polish, English, Italian, and Belarusian, including Olaf Kühl's translation of Szczepan Twardoch's 'Kälte' and Thomas Weiler's translation of 'Feuerdörfer.'
The award ceremony will take place on March 27, the opening day of the Leipzig Book Fair, with a total prize fund of €60,000 to be distributed among winners and nominees.