A Century of World Literature 1925 - 2025
This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.
About this list
Der Spiegel, 100 Books
This list, known as the SPIEGEL-Literaturkanon, is a curated selection of the 100 best works of world literature from 1925 to 2025, aimed at highlighting significant literary contributions globally. The selection criteria involve a focus on works that have been translated into German, with a strong emphasis on representing diverse geographical regions, including Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, to reflect a comprehensive view of modern world literature. It was curated by a four-member jury composed of experts with varied literary interests, including Eva Horn, Miryam Schellbach, Michael Maar, and Peter Sloterdijk, each bringing a unique perspective to the process. The methodology involves a subjective selection by the expert jury, aiming to create a normative rather than a purely commercial or descriptive list, emphasizing works of literary significance that may not be readily available in bookstores but demonstrate the vibrancy of literary history.
This list was originally published in 2025 and was added to this site about 1 year ago.