Walter Kappacher | |
|---|---|
 Kappacher in 2009 | |
| Born | (1938-10-24)24 October 1938 |
| Died | 24 May 2024(2024-05-24) (aged 85) Salzburg, Austria |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | German |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Years active | 1964–2024 |
| Notable works | Morgen, Rosina, Silberpfeile, Selina oder das andere Leben, Die irdische Liebe, Wer zuerst lacht |
| Notable awards | Georg Büchner Prize (2009) Hermann-Lenz-Preis (2004) Großer Kunstpreis des Landes Salzburg (2006) Honorary Doctorate from theUniversity of Salzburg (2008) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Walter Kappacher (24 October 1938 – 24 May 2024) was an Austrian writer. In 2009 he was awarded theGeorg Büchner Prize.[1]
Raised inSalzburg, after finishing his schooling at elementary school and thenHauptschule, Kappacher completed an apprenticeship and became ajourneyman motorcyclemechanic. For a number of years, he was quite enthusiastic aboutmotorcycle racing. After doing hiscompulsory year of military service, he developed a keen interest for the theatre, going as far as to begin training at aMunichdrama school, although he later gave this up. By and by, reading and writing were becoming Kappacher's foremost interests, although he chose to be a travel agency salesman as his main job.
Kappacher began writing in 1964. His first publications were a fewshort stories that appeared in theStuttgarter Zeitung in 1967. His first longer published works, likeNur Fliegen ist schöner andDie Werkstatt, followed in the 1970s. In 1978, after his fortieth birthday, he decided – with ascreenplay project in his hand – to quit his day job and become a full-time writer. He composed a whole series of stories and novels, together withradio dramas andteleplays, too.
Erwin Chargaff showed his appreciation of Walter Kappacher's style by saying "He writes a kind ofHochquellprosa.[2] An endless amount of work goes into a style that at first goes unnoticed."[3]
Another of Kappacher's admirers wasPeter Handke, who was successful in his efforts to get Kappacher awarded theHermann-Lenz-Preis. Within the contemporary Austrian literary scene, which is characterized mainly by groupings of authors, Kappacher stood out as one who held a lone position in this world. Kappacher was long said to be a "sleeper" in contemporary German-language literature, and he only became better known to the broader public once he was awarded theGeorg Büchner Prize in 2009.[4]
Kappacher long lived together with his mother, who had beenwidowed early, in their flat inSalzburg and was her caregiver for years until her death. in the mid-1990s, he and his wife, a teacher, moved toObertrum. He was a member of thePEN Club Austria [de] (which belongs toPEN International) and theDeutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung in Darmstadt, as well as being the recipient of major prizes and an honorary doctorate.[5] Beginning in 2014, he once again lived in Salzburg. Kappacher's last published work, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, was a volume of prose entitledIch erinnere mich ("I Remember"). Kappacher died in Salzburg on 24 May 2024, at the age of 85.[6][7][8]
Er schreibt eine Art Hochquellprosa. Unendlich viel Arbeit geht in einen Stil, den man zuerst nicht wahrnimmt.(in German)
