Overview
- ZDF, 3sat and the City of Mainz announced the selection on Oct. 27, with the formal presentation set for April 2026.
- The award carries €12,500, a year’s residence in the Stadtschreiber apartment in Mainz’s old town, and an option to produce a film with ZDF and 3sat.
- Jurors praised Regener’s novels, screenplays and song lyrics for capturing everyday dramas and “the poetry of stumbling.”
- Regener, 64, is a Berlin-based musician and writer who founded Element of Crime and authored Herr Lehmann, later adapted for the screen.
- Recent publications include a 2024 essay on humor in literature and the 2022 novel Glitterschnitter, alongside a recent music prize from the city of Goslar.