Laura Laabs: East German voice wins the Bachmann Prize!

Laura Laabs: East German voice wins the Bachmann Prize!

In Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, where the 49th Ingeborg Bachmann Prize will be awarded on Thursday, everything revolves around literature and fresh talent. One person in particular stands out among the participants: Laura Laabs. The 40-year-old writer and director from Berlin is the daughter of the well-known authors Daniela Dahn and Joochen Laabs. Her life path led her to get started in the literary scene by studying film directing.

Laura Laabs will take part in the competition, which will take place from June 25th to 29th, 2025, and has prepared a short form called “On Getting Up”. Her experience as an author and filmmaker, in particular her feature film debut “Red Stars Above the Field,” which was a hit at both the Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival and the Film Art Festival in Schwerin, will benefit her in the competition. Her first novel “Adlergestell”, which will be published by Tropen-Verlag in August 2025, sheds light on the growing up of three girls during the reunification period in East Germany and examines the effects of the post-reunification period on women’s biographies.

Compact information about the competition

The reading order for the competition will be drawn on Wednesday evening, which promises excitement even before the first word is heard. The competition will be broadcast in full, and listeners can look forward to seeing which unpublished texts the invited authors will present. In addition to Laabs, Thomas Bissinger, Natascha Gangl and Boris Schumatsky are among those competing. This mix of new and established voices offers an exciting literary landscape.

• Wettbewerbstage: 26. bis 29. Juni 2025
• Preisverleihung: 29. Juni 2025
• Hauptpreis: 25.000 Euro

The jury, chaired by Klaus Kastberger and including well-known names such as Mara Delius and Mithu Sanyal, will examine the texts closely. On Sunday, the final day of the competition, it will be announced who will take home the prestigious prize. Last year's winner Tijan Sila, who impressed with “The Day My Mother Went Crazy,” will also be eagerly awaiting the new award winner.

Special events and social development

Also included in the program is the Klagenfurt speech on literature, given by the 2021 award winner, Nava Ebrahimi. Their theme, “Three Days in May,” will provide exciting insights into personal and societal issues in the meantime. Ebrahimi refers to various current and historical events that shape our time.

The entire event is not only a showcase for young talents like Laura Laabs, but also a place for exchange about relevant social issues. The Ingeborg Bachmann Prize thus becomes an important forum for literature and social reflection and offers a brilliant opportunity to expand literary discourse.

The readings and discussions are broadcast by the broadcaster 3sat, which ensures a wide audience. Here, literature enthusiasts can follow the authors' performances live and become part of this exciting competition atmosphere.

So we can't wait to see what the coming days will bring in Klagenfurt and, above all, whether Laura Laabs, with her unique voice, will be very popular in the literary world. A first-class literary experience is guaranteed!

For more information and latest updates please visit NDR, Berlin newspaper and Wikipedia.