• Lady Midday (Die Mittagsfrau) by Julia Franck ();

• Angry Sheep (Böse Schafe) by Katja Lange-Müller ();

• Wallner Begins to Fly (Wallner beginnt zu fliegen) by Thomas von Steinaecker ().

Hopefully they’ll have excerpts of the other three finalists online soon.

Here’s what spokesperson for the judges, Felicitas von Lovenberg had to say about the selection of these 20 books from the 117 submitted titles:

“Without allowing ourselves to be seduced by celebrity or distracted by the pressure of originality, we have chosen twenty titles that reflect the unusual diversity and vitality in German-language literature as it presents itself this autumn in particular.”

Good to know that they stood up to the pressure of originality. It’s always a bad sign with originality counts for something.

But seriously, although I’m not familiar with any of the specific titles on this list, a number of the authors were recommended to me at one time or another by the wonderful people at the including Julia Franck, Thomas Glavinic, Michael Lentz, and Robert Menasse.

According to the official site, has info and sample translations for the “shortlisted authors.” I couldn’t find this online, but hopefully it’s on its way.

German Book Prize Longlist

Thommie Bayer: Eine kurze Geschichte vom Glück (Piper, August 2007)

Larissa Boehning: Lichte Stoffe (Eichborn Berlin, August 2007)

Julia Franck: Die Mittagsfrau (S. Fischer, September 2007)

Thomas Glavinic: Das bin doch ich (Hanser, August 2007)

Lena Gorelik: Hochzeit in Jerusalem (SchirmerGraf, March 2007)

Sabine Gruber: Über Nacht (C.H. Beck, January 2007)

Peter Henisch: Eine sehr kleine Frau (Deuticke, August 2007)

Michael Köhlmeier: Abendland (Hanser, August 2007)

Katja Lange-Müller: Böse Schafe (Kiepenheuer & Witsch, August 2007)

Michael Lentz: Pazifik Exil (S. Fischer, August 2007)

Harald Martenstein: Heimweg (C. Bertelsmann, February 2007)

Pierangelo Maset: Laura oder die Tücken der Kunst(kookbooks, September 2007)

Robert Menasse: Don Juan de la Mancha (Suhrkamp, August 2007)

Martin Mosebach: Der Mond und das Mädchen (Hanser, August 2007)

Mathias Nolte: Roula Rouge (Deuticke, March 2007)

Gregor Sander: abwesend (Wallstein, March 2007)

Arnold Stadler: Komm, gehen wir (S. Fischer, May2007)

Peter Truschner: Die Träumer (Zsolnay, March 2007)

John von Düffel: Beste Jahre (DuMont, August 2007)

Thomas von Steinaecker: Wallner beginnt zu fliegen (FVA, February 2007)

Thomas Bernhard wrote his first full-length play “Ein Fest für Boris” ( A party for Boris) in 1966 for the Salzburg Festival, however the then president considered the grotesque drama about legless cripples “too dreary”: “We must take the nerves of our more sensitive guests into consideration.” Consequently the play was never performed there. Ulrich Weinzierl finds it fitting that it is opening the festival – which has proven capable of “swallowing much heavier fare” – this year, but is not entirely convinced of the approach of the young Berlin director Christiane Pohle. “In an attempt to do everything differently, she does a lot of damage. Pohle halves the number of cripples; the six of them loll about in lounge chairs, a combo plays in the background. The scene in which ‘Good’ gives the amputated Boris riding boots is eliminated, not replaced. And Boris doesn’t drum himself into death; he practices weebles until he dies, with Johannes’ help. It’s no wonder that ‘Good’ doesn’t ‘break out in horrible laughter’ – as Bernhard wanted it – but in fact is fighting back tears. And the sobbing finale is a massive belittlement, borderline kitsch.”