Liberaturpreis

The 2019 nominees

(in alphabetical order)


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All books by female writers included on the previous year’s Weltempfänger-lists are automatically nominated for the award.

The award ceremony is held in October at Frankfurter Buchmesse.


Nanae Aoyama [Japan]: »Bruchstücke«

Short Stories, translated from Japanese by Katja Busson and Frieder Lommatzsch, published by Cass Verlag

Three subtle short stories about relationships in families and between couples.


Rita Indiana [Dominican Republic]: »Tentakel«

Novel, translated from Spanish by Angelica Ammar, published by Wagenbach

A bold mixture of ecology, history, future, myths and modern elements – magical realism, reinvented.


Lina Meruane [Chile]: »Rot vor Augen«

Novel, translated from Spanish by Susanne Lange, published by Arche Literaturverlag

A young woman suddenly goes blind and has to find new ways to orient herself.


Guadalupe Nettel [Mexico]: »Nach dem Winter«

Novel, translated from Spanish by Carola Fischer, published by Blessing

A Cuban in New York and a Mexican in Paris experience the loneliness of being alone in a foreign country. 


Mercedes Rosende [Uruguay]: »Krokodilstränen«

Novel, translated from Spanish by Peter Kultzen, published by Unionsverlag

A very funny crime story about a woman and a gang of underdogs seeking revenge.


Samanta Schweblin [Argentina]: »Sieben leere Häuser«

Short Stories, translated from Spanish by Marianne Gareis, published by Suhrkamp

Poetic and uncanny short stories about people and their homes.


Kamila Shamsie [Pakistan]: »Hausbrand«

Novel, translated from English by Nikolaus Hansen, published by Berlin Verlag

A contemporary interpretation of Antigone in which a young Muslim woman fights for her brother, who wants to turn his back on Isis and return to England.



Dima Wannous [Syria]: »Die Verängstigten«

Novel, translated from Arabic by Larissa Bender, published by Blessing

A novel that puts into words the state of constant fear born of 50 years of terror in Syria.



Patrícia Melo (Brazil, »Der Nachbar«) and Claudia Piñeiro (Argentina, »Der Privatsekretär«) also appeared on the 2018 lists, but have not been shortlisted again since they already received the award in 2010 and 2013.