The jubilee 10th edition of the South Bohemian Bookworm competition has received extraordinary interest from schools and participants
Goethe centrum of the University of South Bohemia, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut in Prague and with the support of the South Bohemian Scientific Library in České Budějovice, successfully organized the jubilee 10th edition of the German reading competition called "South Bohemian Bookworm."
The competition, aimed at elementary and high school students as well as grammar schools, offers a platform where students can showcase their reading skills in German literature in front of a professional jury and audience. The competition's main goal is to motivate young people to read, improve their pronunciation, and familiarize them with contemporary literary production.
The regional finals, held on April 24, 2025, at the South Bohemian Scientific Library in České Budějovice, welcomed the best contestants who advanced from various school rounds. This year, the jury again appreciated the high level of performances presented.
This year's jubilee edition attracted extraordinary interest, with more than 20 schools from across the South Bohemian Region participating. A total of 34 contestants competed in six categories: four of them were determined by age and school type, the fifth category was reserved for students from bilingual families or those who had spent a longer period in a German-speaking environment. The sixth category allowed creative participants to dramatize a selected literary excerpt, including their own scenography and direction.
Each participating school received a copy of the book that was read from this year as a token of appreciation for supporting German language education. This year's featured book was "Anna und Anna" by German author Charlotte Inden. This psychological story, focusing on identity, friendship, and adolescence, is told in the form of letter correspondence. It has attracted the attention of the professional public and was shortlisted for the German-French Youth Literature Prize.
The professional jury, composed of colleagues from the Faculty of Education and Faculty of Arts of the University of South Bohemia, along with representatives from Czech Radio České Budějovice, evaluated the contestants' performances based on criteria such as reading technique, pronunciation, voice work, text interpretation, and audience engagement. A winner was announced in each category, receiving a beautiful writing set as a prize.
The South Bohemian Bookworm competition is also held simultaneously in Pardubice and Olomouc, where local partner institutions organize it under the auspices of the Goethe-Institut. A celebratory gathering of all winners will take place on June 25, 2025, at the Goethe-Institut in Prague, where participants will learn about the work of this internationally recognized cultural and educational organization.
The South Bohemian Bookworm project has long contributed to making German language education more attractive in Czech schools and strengthening cultural exchange between Czech and German-speaking regions. One of the goals of the Goethe Center at the University of South Bohemia, which is a partner of the Prague Goethe-Institut, is to develop educational and cultural ties between regions through joint projects. As part of the Language Competence Center for German and Czech, the center also offers accredited educational programs and collaborates with institutions in the South Bohemian Region, Upper Austria, and Lower Bavaria.
