Swiss Book Prize nominees are revealed

The five nominees for the Swiss Book Prize 2020 are Dorothee Elmiger, Tom Kummer, Charles Lewinsky, Karl Rühmann and Anna Stern.

The jury said on Tuesday that Swiss-German prose this year reflected “a great diversity of styles” and the shortlist accordingly comprised “five very different books, each one aesthetically stubborn and form-conscious”.

Elmiger, also nominated in 2010 and 2014, is up for Aus der Zuckerfabrik (From the sugar factory), which has also made it to the final round of the German Book Prize, also announced on Tuesday.

The other four authors are Kummer with Von schlechten Eltern (From bad parents), Lewinsky with Der Halbbart (The half beard), Rühmann with Der Held (The hero) and Stern with das alles hier, jetzt (Everything here, now).

This year the jury reviewed 83 titles from 54 publishers. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic the prizes will be awarded on November 8 as part of the Basel Literature Festival.

The winner of the Swiss Book Prize receives CHF30,000 ($33,000), with each of the four other finalists picking up CHF3,000.