Author Štajner receives Austrian literary prize

Klagenfurt, 30 June - Slovenian writer Tamara Štajner has received one of the prizes given out as part of the Ingeborg Bachman Prize, one of the top accolades for German literary works.

Frankfurt, Germany Author Tamara Štajner. Photo: Elena Ternovaja File photo

Frankfurt, Germany
Author Tamara Štajner.
Photo: Elena Ternovaja
File photo

Given out annually by the city of Klagenfurt, this year's Ingeborg Bachman Prize went to German and Bosnian author Tijan Sila, while Štajner received one of the accompanying honours, the Kelag Prize, on Sunday, receiving a EUR 10,000 cheque.

She was honoured for Luft nach Unten (Room for Less), a text about a complex relationship between a mother and a daughter.

Štajner described the text to the STA as a multilayered story, an internal monologue of a daughter addressing her mother, intertwined with memories and present experiences, also touching on the wars in the Balkans.

Štajner is a professional violinist and author, writing poetry and literature in both Slovenian and German. She has received a number of awards. She grew up in Slovenia and went on to study music in Vienna.

Alongside Štajner and Sila, six authors were in the running for the Ingeborg Bachman Prize this year. The prize has been given out since 1977, including twice to Slovenian authors: Maja Haderlap (2011) and Ana Marwan (2022).

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