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"German literature from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is enjoying an international reputation as seldom before – the German Book Prize contributes to this. That is why I am delighted that judges of great literary competence will be choosing the 'best German-language novel of 2008', ensuring the continuing success story of this prize", says Gottfried Honnefelder, president of the Börsenverein and chairman of the German Book Prize Academy. Over the past five months, the judges have read a total of 145 titles - 70 of which are due for publication next spring, 67 for summer and autumn and 8 novels are from 2007 autumn lists.
The novels shortlisted (in alphabetical order):
Dietmar Dath: The Abolition of the Species (Die Abschaffung der Arten)
Suhrkamp Verlag
September 2008
About the book
English excerpt
Sherko Fatah: The Dark Ship (Das dunkle Schiff)
Jung und Jung Verlag
Februar 2008
About the book
English excerpt
Iris Hanika: When Two Meet (Treffen sich zwei)
Droschl Verlag
Januar 2008
About the book
English excerpt
Rolf Lappert: Swimming Home (Nach Hause schwimmen)
Hanser Verlag
Februar 2008
About the book
English excerpt 
Ingo Schulze: Adam and Evelyn (Adam und Evelyn)
Berlin Verlag
August 2008
About the book
English excerpt
Uwe Tellkamp: The Tower (Der Turm)
Suhrkamp
September 2008
About the book
English excerpt
The judges for the German Book Prize 2008 are: Christoph Bartmann (director of the Goethe-Institut's Culture and Information Department), Martin Ebel (culture editor at the Tages-Anzeiger, Zürich), Meike Fessmann (freelance critic), Jens Jessen (head of the feature section at Die Zeit), Manfred Keiper (manager "andere Buchhandlung", Rostock), Rainer Moritz (director of the Literaturhaus, Hamburg) and Michael Schmitt (editor, "Kulturzeit" 3sat) will be choosing this year’s best German-language novel.
The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on 13 October.
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Günter Grass has just published his diary from 1990, recording the tumultous events after the fall of the Berlin Wall. "From Germany to Germany" is a list of ominous predictions for the future of German unity. The former GDR writer Monika Maron looks at how blinded Grass was by his own preconceptions.
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and all the best for 2009!
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