Literature accolade bestowed upon Eva Menasse.
Eva Menasse, a renowned author known for her incisive commentary on fundamental questions of democratic coexistence, has been awarded the Austrian Book Trade's Tolerance in Thought and Action Award 2025. The prestigious prize, worth €10,000, will be presented to Menasse on November 23 at the Klangraum Krems Minoritenkirche in Krems/Stein on the Danube.
Benedikt Foeger, president of the Austrian Book Trade Association, announced the award at a press conference on Thursday. Menasse, a 55-year-old author who has lived in Berlin for over two decades, has been recognised for her outstanding literary work and her role as an important public intellectual.
Menasse debuted as a writer in 2005 with the family novel "Vienna". Since then, her most significant works include the novels Dunkelblum (2021) and Vienna, the essay Alles und nichts sagen (Saying Everything and Nothing, published at the end of 2023), and other works such as "Venial Sins" and "Quasikristalle".
Her latest novel, "Dunkelblum", deals with collective repression and looking away in recent Austrian history using a fictional Burgenland village as an example. The book was nominated for the German Book Prize, awarded the Bruno Kreisky Prize for Political Literature, and has been translated into nine languages.
"Dunkelblum" is noteworthy for its nuanced, uncomfortable, and precise voice in times of growing polarization, political simplification, and aggressive discourse. Menasse consistently stands for freedom of speech, open discourse, and creative work that promotes critical thinking, enlightenment, and active societal engagement.
Menasse's essay "Saying Everything and Nothing" addresses the "state of debate in the digital age." In her works, she addresses fundamental questions of democratic coexistence with analytical sharpness, incorruptibility, moral integrity, and fine literary sensibility. She is known for her handling of history, the power of memory, the influence of language, the danger of exclusion, and the importance of an open, pluralistic society.
In addition to her literary achievements, Menasse has worked as a journalist for "profil", "Format", and "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung". Her book "The Holocaust on Trial" (2000) collected her reports on the trial of Holocaust denier David Irving. Menasse has also been a co-founder and spokesperson of the Writers' Association PEN Berlin.
The Austrian Book Prize 2025 longlist has been published, but no further details about Menasse's nomination in this context are provided. In 2017, Menasse's collection of stories "Animals for Advanced Students" was honoured with the Austrian Book Prize. This latest award further cements Menasse's standing as an important figure in contemporary literature and public discourse.
