HKW Awarded: International Literature Prize for "Die Aussiedlung"

The Hungarian author Andras Visky and his translator Timea Tanko have been honored with the International Literature Prize awarded by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin. Their recognition comes for Visky's novel "Die Aussiedlung," a work the jury described as a "singular book of captivity." The novel chronicles a family's deportation to the steppes of eastern Romania. The jury praised the book for its exploration of the "enigmatic ability of people to bond with each other in the face of devastation, when everything else is shattering." They highlighted Visky's use of a "risky language" to convey this narrative. The prize, now in its 18th year, is endowed with 35,000 euros. Of this amount, 20,000 euros go to the author, and 15,000 euros are awarded to the translator. The award aims to celebrate outstanding works of international contemporary literature presented in their first German translation. Last year, the prize notably honored poetry for the first time, recognizing the work "Autobiographie des Todes" by South Korean author Kim Hyesoon, translated by Sool Park and Uljana Wolf.

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Die Aussiedlung is a singular book of captivity. A singular book of the federation: a book about the enigmatic ability of people to bond with each other in the face of devastation, when everything else is shattering.