ADVERTISING
Darmstadt Literary March: Advancement awards for Ana Tcheishvili and Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç
As part of the Literary March 2025, the city of Darmstadt once again awarded prestigious prizes to emerging poets. Sandra Burkhardt received the Leonce and Lena Prize 2025 on Saturday evening (March 22). The jury honored her "poetological boundary-crossing, magnificent erudition, and an original contribution to contemporary poetry" with the €8,000 prize.
The Wolfgang Weyrauch Advancement Awards, each worth 4,000 euros, were presented to author Ana Tcheishvili and poet Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç . The awards were presented by Mayor Hanno Benz at the Centralstation cultural center.
Prize ceremony at the Central Station
Mayor Hanno Benz emphasized the importance of the Literary March as a catalyst for the poetry scene:
"With the Leonce and Lena Prize, Darmstadt promotes young talents who rethink language and further develop forms. The award-winning works are an expression of a vibrant, diverse lyrical culture."
The jury consisted of literary scholars Prof. Dr. Frieder von Ammon , Yevgeniy Breyer , Dagmara Kraus , Nadja Küchenmeister , and Alexander Schnickmann . A preliminary selection was made by the editorial team of Christian Döring , Kurt Drawert , and Beate Tröger – from among 463 applications.
Jury statement: Sandra Burkhardt
The jury praised Burkhardt's poetry as a "magic spell and augury," with "exuberant humor" and "the definitive answer to the question of what queer means." Her language points to an impressive combination of Gothic style and postmodern reflection.
Wolfgang Weyrauch Advancement Awards
Ana Tcheishvili impressed with surreal imagery that alienates and challenges familiar perceptions:
"In her poems, fish live in washing machines. She breaks the seemingly familiar into unfamiliar pieces – you don't forget this voice."
Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç received the award for a cycle of poems that links Berlin with the 9th century. His texts reflect "urban reality with historical figures" and are "witty, allusive, and multilingual.".
Literary March since 1979
The Literary March took place for the 24th time Leonce and Lena Prize has been awarded since 1979 , and the Wolfgang Weyrauch Advancement Prize – both are among the most prestigious awards for emerging poets in the German-speaking world. Ten authors were nominated this year and gave public readings.
Further information about the event and literature promotion in Darmstadt can be found at www.darmstadt.de/kultur .
(DATMSTADT – RED/PSD/dk)
Featured image: Sandra Burkhardt Photo: Natalia Reich
