Nino Haratischwili awarded Carl Zuckmayer Medal for contribution to German language
The relevance of Haratischwili's work - which heavily features interconnections and generational dramas in war - on the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine was highlighted by Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer. Photo: Rhineland-Palatinate State Government
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The Georgian-born and German-based author and theatre director Nino Haratischwili has been awarded the Carl Zuckmayer Medal for her contribution to German language, in the latest recognition of the literary talents that have spawned a range of prizes and translations of her works over the recent years.
The recipient of prestigious German awards, ranging from the Bertolt Brecht Prize for Literature to the Schiller Memorial Award and the Anna Seghers Prize, has now been recognised with the Medal of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, with the formal presentation of the award hosted on Wednesday.
The State's Prime Minister Malu Dreyer called the author a "voice from Eastern Europe that urgently needs to be heard" and combines "attitude with the courage to tell stories" in her comments on the award.
Ministerpräsidentin Malu #Dreyer verleiht #Zuckmayer-Medaille 2023 an Nino #Haratischwili: Sie ist eine Stimme Osteuropas, die gehört werden muss. Sie erzählt Freiheit als große generationsübergreifende Geschichte der Staaten der ehem. Sowjetunion. Mehr: https://t.co/ixzn6utb9N pic.twitter.com/jzXANfwbxk
— Landesregierung Rheinland-Pfalz (@rlpNews) January 18, 2023
She also praised Haratischwili's books for "dramas and tragedies of almost ancient proportions [that] ask important questions about guilt and responsibility, about the long-term consequences of war and crime".
Nino Haratischwili manages in a fascinating way to combine entertainment with attitude and to merge individual fates and history. Against the background of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, her novels are alarmingly topical
- Malu Dreyer, Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate
On her part, Haratischwili said she was left "speechless" by the recognition, which came at the 46th edition of the awards for the Medal and follows international success of her books of generational trauma and dramatic ties between historical epochs.
The author had international breakthrough with epic novels including The Eighth Life (for Brilka) and The Cat and the General, with her works used for theatre productions and pitched for cinema adaptations at the Berlin International Film Festival's industry platform.
The Medal has been awarded annually by Rhineland-Palatinate since 1979 and commemorates the writer Carl Zuckmayer. It is handed to individuals for their service to the German language, with previous recipients including Swiss author and dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt and writers Martin Walser and Uwe Timm.