Turkish author nominated for German Novel Award

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

German-Turkish author Feridun Zaimoğlu has been nominated for the Best German-language Novel Award for 2015.

A prominent author of German literature, Zaimoğlu is one of 20 writers shortlisted for the award for his fiction novel “Seven Tower” (Yedikule - Siebentürmevierte), along with other well-known authors, including Lina Bronsky, Jenny Erpenbeck, Valerie Fritsch, Steffen Kopetzky, Ilija Trojanow, Ulrich Peltzer and Clemens J. Setz.

The list was shaped after an evaluation of 167 novels from 110 different publishing houses based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

The jury consisting of seven people will make a shortlist by Sept. 16, and the winning author will be announced on Oct. 12 during the world-renowned Frankfurt Book Fair.

The winner of the honor will also receive a cash award of 37,500 euros, while the runner-up will be given 25,000 euros. The five other novels on the final shortlist will receive 2,500 euros each.

German author Lutz Seiler won the award last year for his fiction work “Kruso.”

Born in 1964, Zaimoğlu came to Germany with his family when he was 1 year old. He later studied medicine and art in Kiel before going to work as a journalist and author. Zaimoğlu has subsequently become recognized as one of the most important poets of contemporary German literature and is the author of many novels, stories and essays.