Press Release

The non-fiction book of the year: Börsenverein to award German Non-Fiction Prize for the first time in 2020

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Award for outstanding, socially relevant German-language non-fiction / First awards ceremony to be held at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin in June 2020 / Total prize money: 42,500 euros / Main sponsor: Deutsche Bank Stiftung

Transmitting knowledge, inspiring debate: Beginning in 2020, the German Non-Fiction Prize will honour the non-fiction book of the year. On 16 July 2020 at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, 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), formerly known as the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Stiftung (foundation of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association) will award this prize, worth a total of 42,500 euros, for the first time. The prize honours outstanding non-fiction written in German and concerning current events. With the German Non-Fiction Prize, the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels aims to promote awareness of non-fiction as a basis for transmitting knowledge, developing informed opinions and encouraging public discourse. The Deutsche Bank Stiftung (Deutsche Bank Foundation) is the main sponsor of the prize, which is also supported by the technology and information provider MVB and the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss (Foundation of the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace).

Jury and Akademie Deutscher Sachbuchpreis (Academy of the German Non-Fiction Prize)

To ensure that the prize is awarded in an impartial and transparent manner, a seven-member jury selects the winner through a multiple-stage selection process. The jury is composed of seven experts from the areas of non-fiction criticism, journalism, science, the cultural sector and the book trade. It is comprised of new members each year. The jury of the German Non-Fiction Prize 2020 will be announced in November 2019.

The members of the jury are selected by the Akademie Deutscher Sachbuchpreis. The eleven-member committee is convened by the board of the Börsenverein, whose members included representatives of the book, media and culture industries, science, as well as sponsors and supporters of the prize. The Chairman of the Akademie Deutscher Sachbuchpreis is the President of the Börsenverein, Heinrich Riethmüller. The complete list of members is available at www.deutscher-sachbuchpreis.de.

Call for submissions and selection process

The submission period for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2020 begins on 23 September 2019 and ends on 22 November 2019. Publishers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland may submit up to two German-language non-fiction books from their current or planned programme for consideration for the prize. The jury may request additional titles that it deems appropriate.

The non-fiction book of the year is selected through a two-stage process. First, the jury compiles a list of nominations comprising eight titles, which will be announced around World Book Day in April 2020. From this selection, the members of the jury then choose the non-fiction book of the year. The eight nominated authors will only find out who is the winner of the German Non-Fiction Prize on the evening of the awards ceremony. The winner receives 25,000 euros, the seven nominees 2,500 euros each.

Heinrich Riethmüller, President of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and Chairman of the Akademie Deutscher Sachbuchpreis:

“We need non-fiction now more than ever: It provides accurate information and helps us understand complex connections – attributes that are of utmost importance for our society today. With the German Non-Fiction Prize, we are creating a platform for books and authors whose topics affect people today and inspire them to think and debate. We are delighted to have found strong partners to join us in our commitment to these important goals.”

Jürgen Fitschen, Chairman of the Deutsche Bank Stiftung:

“Expanding horizons and inspiring debate – these are two key attributes of non-fiction. As a result, the German Non-Fiction Prize contributes significantly to a wide-ranging social discourse that we, the Deutsche Bank Stiftung, are extremely proud to support financially.”

Regula Venske, President of the PEN Centre Germany and member of the Akademie Deutscher Sachbuchpreis:

“The right to freedom of information corresponds to the right to freedom of speech as one of the most precious human rights. However, we in our modern society have not only a right to gather a wide range of information, we have a duty to do so. How else can we expect to make informed decisions, considering the complexity of the world? We need literary fiction to develop our hearts and non-fiction for our minds.”

Lavinia Frey, Managing Director Programme and Projects at Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss:

“A forum thrives on open discourse, a wide range of different stories and perspectives. For the Humboldt Forum, contributions from authors on current and socially relevant topics that cut across disciplines and fields are an essential source of inspiration. That’s why it is so important to us to cooperate with the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels on the new German Non-Fiction Prize. We’re delighted to be able to be a part of this important new award from the start!“

Ronald Schild, Managing Director MVB:

“We cannot take the development of informed opinions for granted. Quality alone is far from enough anymore to guarantee that a book will find its way into the hands of readers. In our daily information overload, people only notice what’s visible. Readers increasingly need reliable guidance of the kind MVB offers with its online platforms and magazines to find the relevant books. For this to work, the contents of books must be described and categorised as well as possible. The German Non-Fiction Prize contributes significantly to this, which is why we are delighted to support this new competition.”

Press material and further information

More information about the prize is available at www.deutscher-sachbuchpreis.de as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Press material is available at www.boersenverein.de

The hashtag for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2020 is #DSP20.