Mainz – (rap) On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, the state capital of Mainz awarded the “Literature Promotion Prize for Young Authors” for the 17th time.
The Literature Promotion Prize is endowed with 2,500 euros and is awarded for a special literary achievement by young authors who must not be older than 34 and have a connection to Mainz. In an exciting reading in the Mainz Kammerspiele, the three shortlisted candidates Emily Grunert, Manon Hopf and Aline Wollmer presented their competition texts to the public and the jury.
Emily Grunert prevailed with her text “Odra_Oder” against the texts by Manon Hopf “Hands in the Garden” and Aline Wollmer “Verblümt”.
Emily Grunert was born in Mainz in 1992 and studied creative writing and cultural journalism at the University of Hildesheim as well as applied literary studies at the Free University of Berlin. In 2015 she took part in the literature workshop of the Jürgen Ponto workshop, in 2016 she was involved in the organization of the New Literature Festival of the Goethe-Institut New York in parallel to her studies. Since October 2018 she has been program manager at the Rostock Literature House.
Emily Grunert read from her text “Odra_Oder”, a story that throws the reader into the middle of a flood on the Oder: The borders to Germany closed. Barriers on all bridges and highways, sentries, sandbags, soldiers, helicopters. In between, desperate people in emergency shelters, in a state of emergency. Water everywhere. An oppressive situation from sinking villages, from sinking memories and hopes of the people. Will help come? Will people, the life they used to live, be saved? The scene remains oppressive, floating and uncertain: “In the early evening they expect the next flood. Then noise again. “
The jury consisted of Marianne Grosse, head of culture at the city of Mainz, and literary scholar Dr. Thomas Schröder, Dr. Sigrid Driver from the LiteraturBüro Mainz eV, and Eva Menasse, the reigning Mainz city clerk of the year 2019.
While Marianne Grosse and Eva Menasse, Head of the Department of Culture, opted for Emily Grunert’s text, Dr. Thomas Schröder and Dr. Sigrid driver her voice Manon Hopf. Voices from the audience, who also chose Emily Grunert, ultimately made the difference, so that Emily Grunert is the lucky winner of the Literature Promotion Prize for young authors of the year 2019.
Emily Grunert is the 17th recipient of the Literature Promotion Prize for young authors, following her predecessors Leonie Höckbert (2017), Matthias Boosch (2015) and Andelka Križanović (2013).
Award winners since the beginning
1987 Monika Preiß
1988 Daniel Gutmann
1991 Mark Piella
1993 Marcus Braun
1995 Anke Vemeke
1997 Tobias Rausch
1999 Ralf Schwob
2001 Sarah Alina Grosz
2003 Moritz Heger
2005 Nora Liebmann
2007 Clara Henriette Herborn
2009 Sebastian Spengler
2011 Christina Stein
2013 Andelka Križanović
2015 Matthias Boosch
2017 Leonie Höckbert
2019 Emily Grunert
Editor:
City administration Mainz
Press office | Communication (main office)
Marc André Glöckner, head of department and press spokesman for the city of Mainz
Jockel-Fuchs-Platz 1
55116 Mainz
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