Organizers have announced the awarding of the Austrian Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for literature to Sarajevo-born writer Tijan Sila for his "touching text about the trauma of a Bosnian family," according to the prize's official website. The award carries prize money of 25,000 euros ($26,800) donated by the city of Klagenfurt. The winning story is titled The Day My Mother Went Crazy. Sila, who has lived in Germany since 1994, fled with his family from the Bosnian capital during the infamous siege of Sarajevo by Serb forces during the Bosnian War.
Bosnian-Born Sila Wins Austrian Literature Prize
Sarajevans march in a silent tribute in April 2024 alongside shoes marking the victims of the three-year siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1996, a tragedy from which Sila's family fled.