Provincial Culture Prize

Long overdue honors for Carinthian literary star

Josef Winkler: I wrote about myself in Carinthia(Bild: Irina Lino)

13 cultural prizes were awarded at the Carinthian Music Academy in Ossiach, with the Provincial Culture Prize going to Josef Winkler.

He should actually have received it back in 2017, but the Büchner Prize winner was left empty-handed at the time because only Peter Turrini, with whom he was nominated ex aequo, was honored.

Seven years later, a visibly moved Josef Winkler finally accepted the long overdue State Culture Prize in the literature category (20,000 euros) to minutes of cheers from the guests in the packed hall of the Carinthian Music Academy. Laudator Klaus Kastberger emphasized that Winkler, "unlike many other authors, has never turned his back on Carinthia, his own literary continent".

Culture in a nutshell

Provincial Culture Prize: In addition to writer Josef Winkler, the following 12 creative people were honored:

Eight sponsorship prizes (5000 euros each) for: Terese Kasalicky (visual arts), Mira Stadler (performing arts), Barbara Juch (literature), Duo Sonoma (Mira & Sara Gregorič), Lukas Joham (folk culture), Patrick Rodler (natural sciences), Verena Repar (electronic media, fofography, film) , Franz Hartlieb (humanities and social sciences).

Appreciation prizes (8000 euros) were awarded to: Elisa Molitschnig, Christina Beretta, Cvetka Lipuš.

Recognition prizes (7000 euros) for independent cultural work: Zarja and Peršman cultural associations.

The first Wulfen Prize (5000 euros) went to conservationist Klaus Krainer.

The "Speech on the State of Culture" was a topical occasion for Antonio Fian to warn against the development in Austria and a "culture of culturelessness" in view of the lack of money. Angelika Hödl, Chairwoman of the Carinthian Cultural Committee, put it even more drastically: "Culture is in trouble everywhere, locally and internationally."