Natascha Gangl from Austria has been awarded the Bachmann Prize in the year 2025.
The prestigious Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a renowned German-language literary award, has honoured Austrian author Natascha Gangl for her work "DA STA". This annual prize, named after the significant postwar German-language poet and author Ingeborg Bachmann, recognises outstanding new literary works, often awarding authors of prose, poetry, or essays.
Natascha Gangl's winning novel "DA STA" has been described as a linguistic masterpiece that explores hidden traces of a Nazi crime committed near the Slovenian border at the end of World War II. The earth is depicted in one passage as "an open organ that chews, digests, and decays".
Unfortunately, detailed information about Natascha Gangl herself or the contents and themes of her winning novel is scarce in current search results. For deeper insight into the 2021 prize or Natascha Gangl’s work, official literary prize communications or reviews in German literary media would be recommended.
Ingeborg Bachmann, after whom the prize is named, was a prominent Austrian writer noted for her poetry and prose, active mainly in the mid-20th century. She is recognised as a significant figure in postwar German-language literature alongside authors like Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek. The prize named after her continues to highlight new voices in this tradition.
This year's prize event also saw Berlin-based writer Boris Schumatsky receiving the Deutschlandfunk Prize worth 12,500 euros. Almut Tina Schmidt from Göttingen received the 3sat Prize worth 7,500 euros for her story about women struggling with unhappy relationships, violence, or illness. Swiss author Nora Osagiobare received the KELAG Prize worth 10,000 euros for her fast-paced story.
Tara Meister from Austria received a writing scholarship, and Thomas Bissinger, a physicist and author living in Constance, presented an excerpt from his historical novel project but did not win a prize.
Natascha Gangl, who now lives in Vienna and her original home in Styria after several years in Mexico and Spain, has also developed a new form of radio play called "Klangcomic" with the band Rdeca Raketa.
The main prize for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize is 25,000 euros, awarded by the city of Klagenfurt. The jury was impressed by the artistic and lyrical language technique, dense atmosphere, and dialect passages in Natascha Gangl's work "DA STA". Juror Brigitte Schwens-Harrant described it as a "stunningly precise text". Natascha Gangl also received the audience prize for her work "DA STA".
As we await more details about Natascha Gangl and her novel "DA STA", it is clear that the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize continues to recognise and celebrate innovative and compelling literature in the spirit of Bachmann’s literary legacy.
Natascha Gangl's acclaimed novel "DA STA" not only offers a gripping exploration of post-WWII history but also delves into cultural travel, offering insights into a lesser-known episode of European history. In her new form of radio play called "Klangcomic", Natascha Gangl further demonstrates her inclination towards exploring diverse lifestyles and travel experiences.
