The longlist has been selected for the €25,000 (about $29,100) German Book Prize. The shortlist will be announced September 16 and the winner on October 13, on the opening evening of the Frankfurt Book Fair. See the nominated titles here.
The jury said that its "discussions in the fragile year of 2025 were guided by creative language, narrative perspective and the alarming reality of the present. Uncertainty defines our times. Yet one thing is certain: this year's longlist brings together 20 outstanding novels that reflect the full spectrum of our precarious reality--through classical storytelling, tapestries of speech and unruly lists; through historical panoramas, contemporary observations and dystopias; through autobiographical and fantastical tales. The titles include debuts and established voices--authors who use absurdity to entertain and unsettle us. How in the world did we get to where we are today? And what are these conditions doing to us? We have every reason to be worried about the future--but not about literature."