The Viennese author Thomas Stangl (57) was awarded the Bremen Literature Prize 2023 for his novel “Mercury Light” in Bremen City Hall today. Awarded for the first time in 1954, it is one of the oldest and most important literary prizes in Germany and is endowed with 25,000 euros.
Previous Austrian award winners include Arno Geiger, Wolf Haas, Marlene Streeruwitz, Friederike Mayröcker and Clemens J. Setz. Last year Judith Hermann received the award.
In “Mercury Light” (published by Matthes & Seitz Berlin), the author “places his own family history in front of the horizon of the violent history of the 20th century” and reflects “his own narrative in the life of the Bronte sisters and their brother,” it said in the Jury statement.
On February 10th, the next book by Thomas Stangl will be published by Droschl Verlag: “Diverse Wunder. A few handfuls of very short stories”. The sponsorship award for the Bremen Literature Prize 2023, endowed with 6,000 euros, went to the German author Martin Kordic for his second novel “Years for Martha” (S. Fischer Verlag).
