Literary award · Germany · since 1980

Heinrich-Böll-Preis

German literary award (1980–). Established 1980 in Germany.

About Heinrich-Böll-Preis

The Heinrich-Böll-Preis (Heinrich Böll Prize for Literature) is a literary prize of Germany, awarded by the City of Cologne in memory of Nobel Prize winner Heinrich Böll. The prize money is €30,000. The prize is awarded "for outstanding achievements – even by still unknown authors – in the field of German-language literature".

From the Wikipedia article “Heinrich-Böll-Preis”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2023Kathrin Röggla—
2019Juli Zeh—
2017Ilija Trojanow—
2015Herta Müller—
2013Eva Menasse—
2011Ulrich Peltzer—
2009Uwe Timm—
2007Christoph Ransmayr—
2005Ralf Rothmann—
2001Marcel Beyer—
1999Gerhard Meier—
1997W. G. Sebald—
1995Jürgen Becker—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Heinrich-Böll-Preis for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data