Presentation of the Frank Schirrmacher Prize to Yasmina Reza.
Thursday, 28. May 2026, 18:30 – 20:00 h
At the University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich, KOL-G-201 (Aula)
The Frank Schirrmacher Prize has been awarded since 2015 for outstanding achievements in promoting understanding of current affairs and honours individuals and their work or life's work. We look forward to welcoming the 2026 prize winner, French writer, director, actress and most-performed contemporary playwright Yasmina Reza. The laudatory speech will be given by actor, narrator and author Christian Berkel.
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Admission is free. No pre-registration necessary. No seat reservation possible. The security staff reserves the right to check bags/backpacks. Taking photos and filming are prohibited without authorisation and must be refrained from. The event will also be broadcast live and made available for replay.
Yasmina Reza, born in 1959, is a writer, director and actress, and the most frequently performed contemporary playwright. Her most recent publications include “Glücklich die Glücklichen” (“Happy are the Happy”, novel, 2014), “Babylon” (novel, 2017), for which she was awarded the Prix Renaudot in 2016, “Art” (play, 2018), “The God of Carnage” (play, 2018), “Bella Figura” (play, 2019), “Drei Mal Leben” (“Life x 3”, play, 2019), “Anne-Marie die Schönheit” (2019), “Serge” (novel, 2022), “James Brown trug Lockenwickler” (play, 2023) and “Die Rückseite des Lebens” (“The Reverse Side of Life”, prose miniatures, 2024).
She was most recently awarded the Jonathan Swift Prize 2020, the Premio Malaparte 2021, the Prix de l'Académie de Berlin 2022 and the Prix Mondial Cino del Duca 2024 for her work. The play ‘The God of Carnage’ was adapted for the screen by Roman Polanski in 2011.
Photo: © Carole Bellaiche
Christian Berkel, born in West Berlin in 1957, is one of Germany's best-known actors. He has appeared in numerous European film productions and Hollywood blockbusters and has won awards including the Bambi, the "Goldenen Kamera" (Golden Camera) and the "Deutschen Fernsehpreis" (German Television Award). His debut novel "Der Apfelbaum" (The Apple Tree, 2019) and its sequel "Ada" (2022) were acclaimed by critics and readers alike. His most recent novel, "Sputnik", was published in 2025.
Photo: © Gerald von Foris