The German writer Ursula Krechel has been awarded the prestigious Georg Büchner Prize for 2024, the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung announced on Tuesday. The award, accompanied by a 50,000-euro prize, recognizes Krechel’s significant contribution to German literature.
The jury lauded Krechel as an author who consistently confronts the devastating impacts of German history and contemporary societal challenges through her diverse body of work. This includes poetry, stage plays, radio dramas, novels and essays. Her lyrical style, they noted, dissects commonplace phrases and explores the scars and aspirations of everyday life, while providing crucial insights into class structures.
A recurring theme throughout Krechel’s oeuvre, the jury emphasized, is the assertion, rediscovery and evolution of female authorship. This exploration is particularly evident in her essays, where she fosters a productive dialogue between German-language literature and the broader international landscape of aesthetic modernity.
Krechel’s writing is celebrated for encouraging readers to examine the traces of the past within the context of present-day realities, prompting critical engagement with contemporary German society.
The Georg Büchner Prize ceremony is scheduled to take place in Darmstadt on November 1st. The award is considered the most distinguished literary prize in the German-speaking world.
