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Wanted: German Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2026

The call for entries for the non-fiction book of the year is open: as of today, publishers can submit titles for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026.

Submission and criteria

Until 21 November 2025, publishers can register titles for the award. At anmeldung.deutscher-sachbuchpreis.de, publishers may submit two German-language monographs each from their current or planned programme and recommend up to five additional titles. These titles must be published between 30 April 2025 and 21 April 2026 and be available in bookstores no later than 21 April 2026, when the nominations will be announced.

Publishers can subsequently submit advance reading copies, e-books and galleys through 6 February 2026. 

To participate, publishers must be members of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels or of the Swiss or Austrian equivalents, the Schweizer Buchhandels- und Verlags-Verband and the Hauptverband des Österreichischen Buchhandels, at the time of nomination.

The criteria for the award are the relevance of the topic, narrative power of the text, its presentation in non-technical language and the quality of the research.

You find further information in the submission form of the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026.

About the German Non-Fiction Prize

The German Non-Fiction Prize is awarded by the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels for outstanding non-fiction books in German-language original edition that inspire social debate.

The non-fiction book of the year is selected through a two-stage process. An independent jury, to be announced on 13 January 2026, will compile a list of nominations comprising eight titles. This list of nominees will be published on 21 April 2026. From this selection, the members of the jury will choose the non-fiction book of the year. The eight authors will only find out which of them has won the German Non-Fiction Prize on the evening of the award ceremony itself. The award ceremony will take place on 8 June 2026 in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The winner will receive 25,000 euros, the seven other finalists 2,500 euros each.