"Without letting ourselves get distracted by prominence or pressure to find something original, we've selected 20 titles that reflect the extraordinary diversity and vitality that German-language literature has to present this fall," said Felicitas von Lovenberg, spokeswoman for this year's German Book Prize jury.

A total of 117 titles, published between Oct. 1, 2006 and Sept. 12, 2007, were reviewed by the seven-member jury over a period of five months. The topics of the novels spanned a wider spectrum than ever, as did the authors' approaches, said von Lovenberg.

Well-established authors and lesser-known writers, along with a few newcomers, made it onto the long list, which was announced on Aug. 15. The short list, consisting of just six titles, will be announced on Sept. 12.

The German Book Prize, an annual award for the best German-language novel, was first presented in 2005 at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Founded by the German Publishers and Booksellers Trade Association, the prize aims to draw attention to German-language literature beyond national borders. Writers from Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland are among the nominees.

Click on the picture gallery below for a look at the long-list nominations.