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Miljenko Jergović Wins 2026 Leipzig Prize for European Understanding for 'Das verrückte Herz'

The jury cites a Sarajevo-centered narrative with a fragmentary style that resists nationalist simplifications.

Overview

  • Leipzig Book Fair announced Jergović as the 2026 recipient for his collection Das verrückte Herz.
  • The jury praises his focus on West Balkan histories and the Siege of Sarajevo, emphasizing the wounds of individuals and society.
  • The work employs small details and fragments as an aesthetic counter to reductive national narratives.
  • The book was published last year by Suhrkamp.
  • The prize will be awarded on March 18, 2026 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, with Barbi Marković delivering the laudation and following 2025 laureate Alhierd Bacharevič.