Dana Vowinckel's "Anton und Alma" Tops Kulturnews' Best Books of October 2026 List
Kulturnews has unveiled its list of the best books for October 2026, highlighting six notable titles from the month of the Frankfurt Book Fair. At the forefront is "Anton und Alma" by Dana Vowinckel (Suhrkamp, 542 pages, €26), which tells the story of a Jewish man and a woman with a history of perpetrator ancestors as they navigate their relationship. Following closely is "Orca" by Franziska Gänsler (Kein & Aber, 368 pages, €25), which illustrates a friendship in a small town facing radicalization due to the climate crisis. Jarka Kubsova's "Im Licht des neuen Tages" (S. Fischer, 304 pages, €24) offers a feminist reinterpretation of a classic. Marie Verse's "Triccs" (Leykam, 256 pages, €25.50) centers on soccer-playing sisters. Max Czollek's "Zweifelssohn" (Tropen, 206 pages, €22) delves into societal fractures. Finally, Alice Horáčkova's "Geteiltes Haus" (Diogenes, 880 pages, €28) narrates the history of a Sudetenland village over fifty years.
Key facts
- Dana Vowinckel's "Anton und Alma" is ranked No. 1 on Kulturnews' best books of October 2026 list.
- Franziska Gänsler's "Orca" is No. 2, Jarka Kubsova's "Im Licht des neuen Tages" is No. 3, Marie Verse's "Triccs" is No. 4, Max Czollek's "Zweifelssohn" is No. 5, and Alice Horáčkova's "Geteiltes Haus" is No. 6.
- The list was published in October 2026, during the Frankfurt Book Fair month.
- Dana Vowinckel's novel is published by Suhrkamp (542 pages, €26) and follows Anton and Alma's relationship amid themes of identity and belonging.
- Franziska Gänsler's "Orca" (Kein & Aber, 368 pages, €25) deals with climate activism and radicalization in a German small town.
- Jarka Kubsova's "Im Licht des neuen Tages" (S. Fischer, 304 pages, €24) is a feminist reworking of Božena Němcová's classic "The Grandmother."
- Marie Verse's "Triccs" (Leykam, 256 pages, €25.50) is a debut novel about queerness in women's soccer.
- Max Czollek's "Zweifelssohn" (Tropen, 206 pages, €22) is his first novel, featuring a protagonist with "Jeremiasyndrom."
- Alice Horáčkova's "Geteiltes Haus" (Diogenes, 880 pages, €28) was translated from Czech by Sophia Marzolff and spans fifty years in the Sudetenland.
Entities
Artists
- Dana Vowinckel
- Franziska Gänsler
- Jarka Kubsova
- Marie Verse
- Max Czollek
- Alice Horáčkova
- Sophia Marzolff
- Božena Němcová
- Carsten Schrader
- Caroline Wahl
- Hannah Mann
- Constantin Lieb
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Erna Schilling
- Matthias Jordan
Institutions
- Kulturnews
- Suhrkamp
- Kein & Aber
- S. Fischer
- Leykam
- Tropen
- Diogenes
- Frankfurter Buchmesse
- Deutscher Buchpreis
Locations
- Frankfurt
- Germany
- Berlin
- Schöneberg
- New York
- United States
- Caucasus
- Czech Republic
- Czechoslovakia
- Sudetenland
- Benetzko
- Benecko
- Vienna
- Austria
- Prague