Ursula Krechel (born 4 December 1947) is a German writer and poet.
Biography Krechel was born on 4 December 1947, in Trier. From 1966 to 1972, she studied German studies, theatre, and art history at the University of Cologne. From 1969 to 1972, she worked as a dramaturge in Dortmund. After 1978, she lived in Frankfurt on Main for many years and since 2000 has lived and worked in Berlin as a writer, focusing on Lyric poetry, but also writing prose, drama, and radio drama.
In 2012 Krechel won the German Book Prize for her hybrid novel Landgericht, subsequently published as an audiobook in 2014. German public service broadcaster ZDF aired a film version in 2017.
Ursula Krechel is a member of Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts) and the German Academy for Language and Literature. The Akademie der Künste holds the Ursula Krechel archive, which includes her publications, documents, manuscripts and correspondence. She is Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz. In 2020, Krechel became the Honorary President of the PEN Centre Germany.
In 2025 she won the prestigious German literature award Georg Büchner Prize.
Works List obtained from Literatur Port.
Poetry
Novels and stories
Essays and criticism
Plays
Awards 1980 Arbeitsstipendium for Berlin artists 1994 Internationaler Eifel-Literatur-Preis 1994 Martha-Saalfeld-Förderpreis 1997 2006 Calwer Hermann-Hesse-Stipend 2008 Rheingau Literatur Preis for Shanghai fern von wo 2009 Jeanette Schocken Preis – Bremerhavener Bürgerpreis für Literatur 2009 Deutscher Kritikerpreis 2009 Joseph-Breitbach-Preis 2009 Kunstpreis Rheinland-Pfalz 2012 Wiesbaden Poetry Prize Orphil 2012 German Book Prize 2019 Jean-Paul-Preis 2025 Georg Büchner Prize
Notes