German-Iranian writer Navid Kermani has been awarded the 2024 Thomas Mann Prize, jointly awarded by the northern German city of Lübeck and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts.
The jury announced the decision on Friday in Lübeck, the hometown of Nobel Prize-winning German writer Thomas Mann and the setting of his classic 1901 novel "Buddenbrooks."
In a statement, the jury praised Kermani's narrative and essayistic work for their analytical brilliance and compassionate sympathy that is unparalleled in contemporary literature.
His numerous stories and novels are characterized by their linguistic brilliance, profound literary reflections and an artful play with his own biography, according to the jury.
Kermani's latest novel, "Das Alphabet bis S," (The Alphabet through S) received particular praise.
The prize will be presented on September 27, 2024 at Theater Lübeck. It has been awarded alternately in Lübeck and Munich every year since 2010 and comes with an award of €25,000 ($27,168).
