Kleist Prize

The Kleist Prize is an annual German literature prize. The prize was first awarded in 1912, on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Heinrich von Kleist the year before. The Kleist Prize was the most important literary award of the Weimar Republic, but was discontinued in 1933. In 1985 the prize was awarded for the first time in over fifty years. Between 1994 and 2000 it was awarded biennially. Since 2026, a monetary sum of €30,000 accompanies the award; previously the amount was €20,000.

From the Wikipedia article “Kleist Prize”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Check the official rules of the Kleist Prize 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.