Hermann Hesse Literature Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2016) Winner
Christian Kracht
クリスティアン・クラフト
Kurisutian Kurafuto
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1966-12-29 （Saanen, Switzerland）
- Nationality
- Swiss
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Saanen, Switzerland → Baden-Württemberg, Germany → Ontario, Canada → New York, USA → New Delhi, India → Bangkok, Thailand → Kathmandu, Nepal → San Francisco, USA → Zurich, Switzerland
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Journalist, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 1995-2024
- Affiliations
- Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Welt am Sonntag
- Influenced By
- Bret Easton Ellis, Thomas Mann, Philip K. Dick, Ernst Jünger, Joseph Conrad
- Influenced
- Leif Randt
- Nominations
- Nominated for International Dublin Literary Award (2017, Imperium), Nominated for Prix Médicis (2019), Shortlisted for German Book Prize (2021), Longlisted for International Booker Prize (2025, Eurotrash)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schule Schloss Salem | — | — | — | — | Germany |
| Lakefield College School | — | — | — | — | Canada |
| Sarah Lawrence College | — | — | — | — | USA |
Schule Schloss Salem
Country:
Germany
Boarding school
Lakefield College School
Country:
Canada
High school
Sarah Lawrence College
Year of Graduation:
1989
Country:
USA
Graduated
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Axel Springer Prize | — | 若手ジャーナリスト | Axel Springer | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar | Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten | — | City of Wetzlar | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Literaturpreis des Kantons Bern | — | — | Canton of Bern | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize | Imperium | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2014 | The Extraordinary Book Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Swiss Book Prize | The Dead | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Hermann-Hesse-Preis | The Dead | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Swiss Literature Awards | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Wolfgang Koeppen Prize | — | — | — | 受賞 |
Axel Springer Prize
1993
Category:
若手ジャーナリスト
Organization:
Axel Springer
Result:
受賞
Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar
2009
Work:
Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten
Organization:
City of Wetzlar
Result:
受賞
Literaturpreis des Kantons Bern
2012
Organization:
Canton of Bern
Result:
受賞
Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize
2012
Work:
Imperium
Result:
受賞
The Extraordinary Book Award
2014
Result:
受賞
Swiss Book Prize
2016
Work:
The Dead
Result:
受賞
Hermann-Hesse-Preis
2016
Work:
The Dead
Result:
受賞
Swiss Literature Awards
2021
Result:
受賞
Wolfgang Koeppen Prize
2022
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Swiss Book Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2016) Winner
-
Edition 14 (2021) Nominee
Works
Major Works
Faserland
1995 Postmodern novelA disillusioned young man travels across Germany amidst consumer culture, leading to existential ennui.
popular cultureconsumerismdisillusionment
Translations
- translated into 30+ languages
1979
2001 NovelSet during the Iranian Revolution, exploring Western consumerism versus Eastern totalitarianism.
alienationrevolutioncultural clash
Adaptations
- [Stage] 1979 / Matthias Hartmann (2004)
- [Stage] 1979 (2009)
I will be here in sunshine and in shadow
2008 Alternate history novelAlternate history where Lenin stays in Switzerland, founding a Swiss Soviet Republic colonizing Africa.
totalitarianismcolonialismwar
Adaptations
- [Stage] Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten
Imperium
2012 Historical novelThe life of August Engelhardt, who attempts a coconut-only vegetarian colony in the South Seas.
colonialismidealismfailure
Adaptations
- [Stage] Imperium (2015)
Translations
- translated into 25+ languages
The Dead
2016 NovelAlternate history novel set in the 20th century.
historical revisionpolitics
Adaptations
- [Stage] The Dead (2017)
Eurotrash
2021 NovelA novel depicting European decadence.
decadencecontemporary society
Adaptations
- [Stage] Eurotrash / Jan Bosse (2021)
- [Film] Eurotrash / Frauke Finsterwalder
Bibliography
- Faserland
- Ferien für immer
- Mesopotamia. Ein Avant-Pop-Reader
- Tristesse Royale
- Der gelbe Bleistift
- 1979
- Die totale Erinnerung. Kim Jong Ils Nordkorea
- New Wave. Ein Kompendium 1999–2006
- Metan
- Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten
- Gebrauchsanweisung für Kathmandu und Nepal
- Five Years: Briefwechsel 2004–2009. Band 1
- Imperium
- Finsterworld
- The Dead
- Eurotrash
- Air
Adaptations
- 1979 stage adaptation
- Imperium stage adaptation
- Finsterworld film
- Sisi & I film
Translations by Author
- Yasushi Inoue The Hunting Gun (audiobook)
- Truman Capote Breakfast at Tiffany's (audiobook)
Translations of Works
- Works translated into 30+ languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- pasticheblend of high and low cultureplayful references
- Recurring Motifs
- journeys to foreign culturessearch for utopia/enlightenmentdisillusionment and failure
Legacy
Swiss author prominent in postmodern literature, focusing on pop culture and consumerism; works translated into over 30 languages, often controversial and associated with Popliteratur.
Archives
- Swiss National Library
In Popular Culture
- Screenplays for films like Finsterworld and Sisi & I
Trivia
- Considered a figurehead of Popliteratur but distanced himself from the label.
- Married to film director Frauke Finsterwalder.
- Has one daughter.