Martina Hefter Wins 20th German Book Prize for Novel “Hey guten Morgen, wie geht es dir?”
The 20th German Book Prize has been awarded to Martina Hefter for her novel “Hey guten Morgen, wie geht es dir?” (Klett-Cotta). This prestigious award is given by the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels (Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association).
The jury praised Hefter’s novel, stating that “the novel combines gruelling everyday life with mythological figures and cosmic dimensions in a fascinating way.” The protagonist in the novel is a mid-50s performance artist in Leipzig, caring for her husband who has MS. She finds herself chatting with a Nigerian lovescammer on sleepless nights, leading to questions of exploitation and blurred boundaries between digital games and real affection.
The jury for the German Book Prize 2024 consisted of Natascha Freundel (rbb), Gerrit Bartels (Der Tagesspiegel), Magda Birkmann (independent literary mediator and bookseller), Torsten Hoffmann (University of Stuttgart), Marianna Lieder (independent critic), Regina Moths (“Literatur Moths” bookshop), and Klaus Nüchtern (Falter magazine).
The following novels were also shortlisted for the award: Maren Kames’ “Hasenprosa” (Suhrkamp Verlag), Clemens Meyer’s “Die Projektoren” (S. Fischer Verlag), Ronya Othmann’s “Vierundsiebzig” (Rowohlt Verlag), Markus Thielemann’s “Von Norden rollt ein Donner” (Verlag C.H.Beck), and Iris Wolff’s “Lichtungen” (Klett-Cotta).
Deutsche Bank Stiftung (Deutsche Bank Foundation) is the main sponsor of the German Book Prize, with Frankfurter Buchmesse and the city of Frankfurt am Main as partners. The television network Deutsche Welle supports the German Book Prize in its media activities both at home and abroad.
The award ceremony took place on Monday, October 14, 2024. A press photo of Martina Hefter is available on the Börsenverein’s website.
Media Contacts:
Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V.
Thomas Koch, Head of Press and Public Relations
Tel. +49 (0) 69 1306-293, e-mail: t.koch@boev.de
Marie Böhlke, PR Manager
Tel. +49 (0) 69 1306-292, e-mail: boehlke@boev.de
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.