InterKontinental, which runs a bookshop exclusively stocked with African and Afro-diasporic literature in Berlin, established the publishing unit in response to the difficulties of writers of African descent finding publishers for their work in Germany/Photo: AfricanCourierMedia

Berlin prize for publisher focused on African writing

InterKontinental Verlag has been honoured with the 2023 Berlin Publishing Award (Berliner Verlagspreis). The publishing company is a subsidiary of InterKontinental, the Berlin-based literary agency and association for the promotion of African and Afro-diasporic literature.

The Berlin Publishing Prize 2023 was presented to InterKontinental Verlag as well as two others, Edition Tiamat and Lukas Verlag, on 5 November during a festive ceremony at the Deutsches Theater.

“Each individual title also impresses with its successful design, which the publishers select very carefully. As a result, the titles attract the attention that their content deserves at first glance,” the jury said. “The jury was deeply impressed by InterKontinental’s commitment at all levels to publicising literary voices from African countries.”

The publishing unit, which received 15,000 euros in prize money, is managed by the political scientists and founders of InterKontinental, Karla Kutzner and Stefanie Hirsbrunner, as well as the literature and African studies scholar Venice Trommer.

InterKontinental, which runs a bookshop exclusively stocked with African and Afro-diasporic literature in Berlin, established the publishing unit in response to the difficulties of writers of African descent finding publishers for their work in Germany or German translators for their work.

Since the establishment of InterKontinental in 2017, it has dedicated itself to disseminating and making visible African and Afro-diasporic literature in the German-speaking world.

InterKontinental also organises the annual African Book Festival Berlin.

Sola Jolaoso

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