Lutz Seiler made a name for himself with his Wende novels “Kruso” and “Stern 111”. Now the author gets a prestigious award.
The jury praised the 59-year-old “as an all-round important author”, whose works testified to the poetic power of language and contemporary political intensity. He gave new impetus to contemporary German-language literature with his poetry, essays and the two novels “Kruso” and “Stern 111”, which are set shortly before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was said that his literary work on the transition from the GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany was politically sensitive and highly innovative in terms of literature. He tells of the reorganization of people at a turning point and how freedom is possible in the face of political change.
Born in Gera, Thuringia, Seiler has already received numerous awards, including the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize (2007), the German Book Prize (2014) and the Leipzig Book Fair Prize (2020).
According to the information, Seiler is the 30th prizewinner. Among others, Walter Kempowski, Herta Müller, Daniel Kehlmann and Cees Nooteboom have received awards. (dpa)