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Introducing the nominees for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026

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The jury for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026 has shortlisted eight outstanding titles for the award. The seven members of the jury have reviewed 239 books. The awards ceremony will take place on 8 June 2026 in the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg.

The nominees 2026

Since the call for submissions was announced, the jury has reviewed 239 books, submitted by 132 publishers.  Non-fiction books in original German-language edition, published since April 2025 could enter the contest. The nominated titles are:

• Heike Behrend: Gespräche mit einem Toten. Gustaf Nagel, Prophet vom Arendsee (Matthes & Seitz Berlin), August 2025
• Florence Gaub: Szenario. Die Zukunft steht auf dem Spiel (dtv), November 2025
• Tilmann Lahme: Thomas Mann. Ein Leben (dtv), May 2025
• Konstantin Richter: Dreihundert Männer. Aufstieg und Fall der Deutschland AG (Suhrkamp), October 2025
• Irina Scherbakowa: Der Schlüssel würde noch passen. Moskauer Erinnerungen (Droemer) November 2025
• Bettina Schöne-Seifert: Leben, Körper, Tod. Zwölf aktuelle Kontroversen der Medizinethik (Wallstein), October 2025
• Roberto Simanowski: Sprachmaschinen. Eine Philosophie der künstlichen Intelligenz (C.H.Beck), October 2025
• Ronen Steinke: Meinungsfreiheit. Wie Polizei und Justiz unser Grundrecht einschränken – und wie wir es verteidigen (Berlin Verlag), February 2026

What do the books of this year's selection have in common?

Jury spokesperson Pascal Mathéus (“Wassermann” bookshop in Hamburg-Blankenese) about the nominees: 

“What should I do? This fundamental Kantian question best fits this year’s list of nominated titles for the German Non-Fiction Prize. In the face of pressing ethical questions of our time, these books offer orientation by looking ahead and looking back, by taking a wide view, or by bringing individual issues into sharp focus. Representing historical, political and medical approaches, they can necessarily offer only a partial snapshot. The jury nevertheless hopes that this snapshot is as broad and diverse as possible. Particular emphasis has been placed on style. In times of an exploding deluge of text produced by artificial sources, the ability to make sense of the present in clear and accessible language has become a value in itself.”

The jury 2026

The seven jury members are experts from the book trade, journalism and the cultural sector:

• Sibylle Anderl (Die Zeit)
• Maja Brankovic (Wirtschaftswoche)
• Manuela Lenzen (science journalist)
• Pascal Mathéus (Buchhandlung Wassermann, Hamburg-Blankenese)
• Patricia Rahemipour (Institute for Museum Research / Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz)
• Stefan Spiegel (funk / Marmota Maps)
• Katrin Vohland (Natural History Museum Vienna)

© Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung

f. l. t. r.: Maja Brankovic, Sibylle Anderl, Stefan Spiegel, Katrin Vohland, Pascal Mathéus, Patricia Rahemipour, Manuela Lenzen

About the prize

The German Non-Fiction Prize, worth a total of 42,500 euros, is awarded by the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels (Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association) to honour the original German-language edition of an outstanding non-fiction book that inspires social debate. The rewards are:

• Winner: 25,000 euros
• The seven nominees: each 2,500 euros

The Deutsche Bank Stiftung (Deutsche Bank Foundation) is the main supporter of the prize, which is also backed by the City of Hamburg and Frankfurter Buchmesse.

Awards Ceremony on 8 June 2026 at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

The non-fiction book of the year will be announced in the Small Hall of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg on 8 June 2026. The jury selects the awardee from the eight shortlisted titles.

Discover the nominees: conversations, films and blogger reviews

There are many ways to get to know the nominated books and their authors before the awards ceremony:

• Talks and discussions: Find the dates in the event calendar
• Films about the nominees: soon on our YouTube channel
• #sachbuchpreisbloggen: Eight book bloggers will present the nominated titles in the coming weeks. Their reviews will be shared through the social media channels of the German Non-Fiction Prize.
• Join the discussion: #DeutscherSachbuchpreis

Follow the German Non-Fiction Prize on Instagram or Bluesky and stay up-to-date until the awards ceremony takes place on 8 June 2026 in Hamburg.