Third day of the Bachmann Prize: Who wrote the most beautiful sentence?

The final day of the 50th Bachmann Prize literary marathon saw heated discussions surrounding two Austrian authors, Christoph Szalay and Wolfgang Popp.

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nothing sublime anymore, but already measured and mapped. The walk in nature as a confrontation with oneself.

Christoph Szalay, a former Norwegian combined skier, presented "Amiata." The text alternates between an "he" perspective recounting the ascent of the Italian mountain Amiata with historical and contemporary nature descriptions, and an "I" perspective detailing his youth in elite sports, marked by constant physical measurement and a fascination with fame. Jury chair Klaus Kastberger noted that the nature descriptions lacked the sublime, instead feeling "measured and mapped." Mithu Sanyal found herself "immersed in its magic" despite initial disinterest, captivated by the landscape's intensity. Thomas Strässle expressed confusion, while Brigitte Schwens-Harrant praised the absence of a moral lesson and encouraged jurors to surrender to a text's pull, akin to a ski jumper's leap.

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was still "immersed in his magic" and happy about it. The violence of the landscape had gripped her.

Wolfgang Popp's "Now I'm Curious" presented a self-referential, associative narrative about an author traveling to Klagenfurt for the Bachmann Prize. This meta-literary approach, described by Philipp Tingler as potentially written in 1989, did not universally resonate. However, Klaus Kastberger, who invited Popp, lauded the text as "typically Austrian," characterized by self-obsession and a unique rhythm of thought-flight. The audience's positive reception suggests Popp remains a contender for the audience award.

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could not believe hearing such a text, which could have been written in 1989.

Other authors who read on previous days and are considered strong contenders for the audience award include Kinga Tóth, Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç, Caroline Rosales, and Jovana Resinger. Derya Uzun's "Fragments of a Suicide," exploring a mother-daughter relationship, was deemed a very good text by Thomas Strässle, noted for its humor and psychological tension.

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typically Austrian text, which is obsessed with itself and has its own rhythm of thought-flight.