Lena Schätte Wins 2026 Ingeborg-Bachmann Prize with Radical Body Text

Lena Schätte has won the 50th Ingeborg-Bachmann Prize in 2026 with her text 'Was wir tragen' (What We Wear), a radical body narrative addressing social exclusion. The jury and audience were equally impressed, and Schätte also received the BKS Bank Audience Prize. The text explores how clothing constrains the body, leaving red marks after a day of wearing trousers, and how societal gazes force the subject into retreat. This is not the first time a 'class text' has convinced the jury and audience. The award ceremony took place in Klagenfurt, Austria, as part of the annual literary competition.