Kurt Tallert receives Uwe Johnson Prize: A book full of memories

Kurt Tallert receives Uwe Johnson Prize: A book full of memories

Last night the time had come: Kurt Tallert, 39 years old and widely known as a musician and producer under the name Retrogott, was chosen for his bookTrail and way offawarded the renowned Uwe Johnson Prize. This prize recognizes outstanding debuts in prose and is awarded every two years. The celebratory award ceremony took place in the Neubrandenburg Theater as part of the Uwe Johnson Days, which will feature various events until mid-November.

The Uwe Johnson Prize, worth 5,000 euros, was awarded by a jury made up of various literary experts. In their justification, they highlighted how Tallert traces the life of his late father, the Holocaust survivor Harry Tallert, in his work. He uses a variety of documents, diary entries and newspaper clippings to deal with his father's humiliations and fears and to understand his lifelong trauma. Tallert himself describes his book as an “autobiographical essay with fiction ambitions and autofictional borrowings” and shows a strong interest in writing a novel in the future.

Insights into the Nazi era

What makes Tallert's book so special? It provides a unique perspective on the National Socialist era and describes a non-linear “stream of memory”. Tallert succeeds in interweaving both poetic and laconic elements in his language. Laudator Annette Leo praised this connection, which gives the work additional depth.

With his work, Tallert intervenes in a debate that is as current as ever: the forgetting of history and the questions about how we come to terms with the past. “It is important to stop forgetting in order to prevent the debate from becoming dull,” he emphasizes and explains how his personal background led him to deal intensively with his own family history.

The Uwe Johnson days and outlook

The Uwe Johnson Days, which have been taking place since 1995, are an important event for literature in Germany and at the same time a platform for new talent. During the festival there will be numerous readings and discussions with various authors who will provide deep insights into their works and themes. The Uwe Johnson Prize has established itself as an important springboard for many writers, and interest in this literary event is constantly growing.

For all those who would like to submit their own literary debuts: The next deadline for submissions for the Uwe Johnson Prize is March 1, 2025. Applications can be submitted by authors or publishers for works that have not been published or have been published since April 2023. A worthwhile opportunity to secure a place in the German-speaking literary landscape!

To submit the works and further information, go directly to the [Uwe Johnson Prizes] website (https://www.uwejohnsonpreis.de/2025/07/21/kurt-tallert-erhaelt-den-uwe-johnson-foerderpreis-2025/).

To submit your work or for further information, please visit the Literaturberatung Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The prize is not just an award, but also an opportunity to contribute your own voice to the literary discussion. Kurt Tallert's @spuratweg# impressively shows the potential in these debuts.

To find out more about the award ceremony and the background to the prize, you can visit Nordkurier.