Kölner Förderpreis für junge Literatur

In the final on November 28 from 7 pm at the FORUM Volkshochschule in the Museum am Neumarkt (Free admission) will read their texts:

Irma Mečević, born in 1992 during the disintegration process of Yugoslavia, studied political science and cynicism in Cologne and Guadalajara. She sat on the fourth floor of a mid-rise office complex for two years when she began studying media arts with a focus on literary writing at the Academy of Media Arts. For 19 years, with brief interruptions, she has worked as a waitress. Her short texts and essays have been published in Zarte Horizontale, zwischentext and das Narr, among others. She is currently writing her debut novel, for which she received the Fritz Hüser Institute working grant in 2025 and was invited to take part in the Literaturhaus Bonn mentoring program with Angela Steidle.

Carla Moschner, born in 2000, studies theories and practices of professional writing at the University of Cologne and won the Offspring Award at lit.COLOGNE in 2025. At the age of 16, she performed on her first spoken word stages, followed by poetry evenings and poetry recordings under the name carlagraphie. In 2024, Carla presented the solo program "Roter Faden in Orange" for the first time. Carla lives in Bonn and is passionate about tofu, dance and thyme.

Susanne Romanowski, born in 1995 in Hamm (Westphalia). After studying literature and political science in Dortmund, Mexico City and Krakow, Susanne Romanowski now lives in Berlin. There she works as a communications manager and freelance cultural journalist. In 2023, she was awarded the "open mike" audience prize. In 2024/25 she was a participant in the "Kölner Schmiede" novel workshop at the Literaturhaus Bonn. Most recently, her short story "Himbeeren" was published in the magazine "Das Gramm". She is currently working on her first novel.

Naomi Semiramis lived in Berlin for 10 years before moving to Cologne in October last year to study theories and practices of professional writing at the University of Cologne. In Berlin, she completed her FSJ Kultur at the Volksbühne and studied screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Film University. She has worked in various positions in film, including as an actress and screenwriter.

Amy Wittenberg grew up in Cologne, where she started writing in a writing workshop for young people. She studied Philosophy and Literary Writing (M.A.) at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. Publications in literary journals, most recently in JENNY (2025). Finalist in the Open Mike 2024. She is currently working on her first novel manuscript, essays, collages and short prose.

In the final of the Cologne Prize for Young Literature, the three-member jury - Angelika Hensgen, Christian Werthschulte and Emily Grunert (thank you very much!) - will award the three main prizes. In addition, the audience will decide on the Audience Award in an anonymous vote. So come along and vote for your favorite entry!