Today is obviously literary awards day out there in German literature-land. Number one is the Droste Prize of the Town of Meersburg. It's awarded every two years to outstanding women writers, and I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never noticed it existed until today.
According to the trade mag Börsenblatt, this year's main prize goes to Judith Schalansky, whose novel The Giraffe's Neck you can read in Shaun Whiteside's translation. The judges praised the versatile and radical nature of her work, which stretches between writing and graphic design, very nicely showcased in her Atlas of Remote Islands. Schalansky is also in charge of a very attractive mini-imprint for the indie publishers Matthes & Seitz, Naturkunden. She gets €6000 and a slap-up meal.
They also have a junior prize worth €4000, which this year goes to Teresa Präauer. Hooray! Sadly you can't get either of her books in English. Boo!
The award honours Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, obviously, a nineteenth-century poet whose work I have not read.
Showing posts with label judith schalansky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judith schalansky. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Atlas of Remote Islands Wins All Sorts of Prizes
The German trade press informs us that Judith Schalansky's Atlas of Remote Islands has won the German Design Prize 2011 for communication design, having taken the 2009 prize for the most beautiful German book.
And you can now get it in English, translated by Christine Lo. Schalansky spent weeks in Berlin's state library, pondering over the huge globe to find 50 islands she had never visited and never will. She found out their locations and researched their histories. And then she drew her own maps of them and wrote a short accompanying piece about each of them. It really is a gorgeous book, perfect for dipping into when your inner geographer needs a spot of pampering.
Go to the link above for a sample of the maps and Schalansky's beautiful, often wistful and witty writing. And I believe she's moving into fiction, so definitely one to watch.
And you can now get it in English, translated by Christine Lo. Schalansky spent weeks in Berlin's state library, pondering over the huge globe to find 50 islands she had never visited and never will. She found out their locations and researched their histories. And then she drew her own maps of them and wrote a short accompanying piece about each of them. It really is a gorgeous book, perfect for dipping into when your inner geographer needs a spot of pampering.
Go to the link above for a sample of the maps and Schalansky's beautiful, often wistful and witty writing. And I believe she's moving into fiction, so definitely one to watch.
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