Yuri Andrukhovych receives Stefan Heym Prize in Chemnitz

The Ukrainian writer Yuri Andrukhovych has been awarded the Stefan Heym Prize by the city of Chemnitz. Mayor Sven Schulze (SPD) presented the literary prize, endowed with 20,000 euros, on Saturday evening.

The board of trustees praised Andrukhovych as one of the most important literary and intellectual voices in Ukraine. His work combines socio-political acuity with subtle humor, which is also directed against authoritarian systems. The laudatory speech was held by Katharina Raabe, Suhrkamp Verlag's editor for Eastern European literatures.

Born in 1960, the author first became known for his experimental satirical poetry and later turned increasingly to prose and essays. He has already received numerous awards, including the Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding and the Heinrich Heine Prize of the City of Düsseldorf. "In the title of the current prize, I like the point about interfering best - in social and political debates, of course. And I like to get involved," Andrukhovych is quoted as saying in a statement from the city.

The award ceremony in Chemnitz also marks the start of the 35th Days of Jewish Culture. In doing so, the city is linking to the biography of the Chemnitz-born writer Stefan Heym (1913-2001), whose Jewish origins and political commitment were formative. The Stefan Heym Prize has been awarded since 2008. Previous winners include Amos Oz, Christoph Hein and Jenny Erpenbeck.