Judith Kuckart Receives the 2026 Literature Prize of the State Capital of Wiesbaden
The 2026 Literature Prize of the State Capital of Wiesbaden has been awarded to the writer, director, dancer, and choreographer Judith Kuckart. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and, since 2020, has been awarded biennially to authors who work across media and establish connections to other arts, media, or discourses.
The jury is honoring Judith Kuckart because she “has always combined the art forms of dance and storytelling with equal parts virtuosity and ease, thereby creating literary choreographies.” Judith Kuckart’s latest work, *Die Welt zwischen den Nachrichten* (The World Between the News), published in 2024, is exemplary of her body of work. The jury’s statement reads: “Set against the backdrop of the Ruhr region, Italy, Switzerland, and Berlin, Kuckart highlights key moments in postwar history and an artist’s biography, exploring the possibilities of women’s life paths. In doing so, she interweaves narrative strands and motifs in a musical, seemingly light-handed and playful manner. A slim volume that, thanks to its intellectual and aesthetic agility, becomes a major work and opens up the space to be both a memoir and a novel about the contemporary history of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
The expert jury consists of literary critics Prof. Dr. Moritz Baßler (University of Münster), Katharina Borchardt (SWR), and Dr. Wiebke Porombka (Deutschlandfunk).
The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the thalhaus Theater in Wiesbaden, with Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende in attendance. Dr. Wiebke Porombka will deliver the laudatory speech. As part of the event, Judith Kuckart will provide insight into her work.
Judith Kuckart was born in 1959 and grew up in Schwelm on the outskirts of the Ruhr region. She currently lives in Berlin and Zurich. She studied literature and theater studies and also trained in dance. In 1984, she founded the Skoronel Dance Theater, an independent professional company with which she staged seventeen productions through 1998. Since 1999, she has worked as a freelance director. In 2021, she staged a revival with the original Skoronel ensemble titled “The Earth Is Incredibly Beautiful, But It Is Not Safe.” The premiere took place as part of the Wiesbaden Literature Days. Judith Kuckart’s first novel, “Wahl der Waffen,” was published in 1990. It was followed by numerous other novels, radio plays, and (narrative) stage plays. She has received numerous fellowships and awards, including the Ruhr Literature Prize in 2009 and the Annette von Droste-Hülshoff Prize in 2012. In 2026, she served as city writer in Chemnitz and Bergen-Enkheim.
For more information, visit www.wiesbaden.de/literaturhaus (opens in a new tab).
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This press release is issued by the Press Office of the State Capital of Wiesbaden, Schlossplatz 6, 65183 Wiesbaden, pressereferatwiesbadende Citizens with questions can contact the responsible department or office.