2026 German Book Prize: Leh-Wei Liao and Lukas Rietzschel Nominated

Lukas Rietzschel, an alumnus of the University of Kassel, and Leh-Wei Liao, a student at the School of Art and Design in Kassel, are currently on the longlist for the 2026 German Book Prize. Each year, at the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading, part of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, presents this award to the German-language “Novel of the Year.”

The photo shows Leh-Wei Liao and Lukas Rietzschel — Leh-Wei Liao and Lukas Rietzschel. Photo: private (left), Alexandra Polina (right)

Leh-Wei Liao was nominated for her debut novel, *Glaszeit*. In it, she tells a compelling and radically clear story of defiant women, of desire and pain, and of Taiwan’s uncertain future—and asks what is worth fighting for. Leh-Wei Liao, born in Göttingen in 1993, is a doctor and has been studying fine arts at the School of Art and Design in Kassel since 2022. She also began writing in 2022 and has since been published in numerous literary magazines. In 2024, she received a fellowship from the Jürgen Ponto Foundation and the Kölner Schmiede.

Lukas Rietzschel, born in 1994, grew up in Upper Lusatia, Saxony. He studied political science and German language and literature at the University of Kassel from 2012 to 2015. Rietzschel’s latest novel, “Sanditz”—in which Kassel also plays a small role—was nominated for the book prize. Sanditz represents a town on the eastern edge of the Federal Republic of Germany. Rietzschel weaves together the stories of a family and the residents of Sanditz from multiple perspectives into a panorama of German histories—from the end of the GDR to the present day. “Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen” was Rietzschel’s highly acclaimed debut novel (2018); his second novel, “Raumfahrer,” was published in 2021. Rietzschel also writes for the theater and works as a journalist.

The seven-member Book Prize jury also includes Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kreuzer. She is a professor of modern German literature and media studies at the University of Kassel. The jury for the 2026 German Book Prize has nominated 20 novels. Since the call for submissions began, the jury has reviewed 205 titles that were published or are scheduled to be published between October 2025 and September 8, 2026 (when the shortlist is announced). The award ceremony will take place on October 5, 2026, at the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair, in the Kaisersaal of Frankfurt’s Römer, and will be broadcast live.

Leh-Wei Liao and Lukas Rietzschel will both appear as part of this year’s Hesse-wide literature festival “Leseland Hessen”: Liao will present “Glaszeit” on Tuesday, September 8, at 7:30 p.m., at the Literaturhaus Kassel, Palais Bellevue, Schöne Aussicht 2, 34117 Kassel.

Lukas Rietzschel will read from “Sanditz” on Thursday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m., at the Glasmuseum Immenhausen, Am Bahnhof 3, 34376 Immenhausen, at the invitation of the Kassel district in cooperation with the Literaturhaus Kassel.

Links to the events:

literaturhauskassel.de/events/leh-wei-liao-glaszeitmoderation-rebekka-frankleseland-hessen/
literaturhauskassel.de/events/lukas-rietzschel-sanditz/