Publisher Matthias Burki awarded the 2026 Central Switzerland Culture Prize
Lucerne - The Central Switzerland Cultural Foundation has awarded the 2026 Central Switzerland Culture Prize to Matthias Burki, the co-founder and director of the Lucerne-based publishing house “Der gesunde Menschenversand”. Burki has been dedicated to spoken-word literature for decades.
The Lucerne-based Central Switzerland Cultural Foundation has awarded Matthias Burki the 2026 Central Switzerland Cultural Prize. Through his publishing house «Der gesunde Menschenversand» and cultural events, Burki has created a unique platform for spoken word, poetry slam and dialect literature. According to a statement from the Canton of Lucerne, he at the same time makes literature, language and the art of language accessible to especially a young audience. The award ceremony for the Culture Prize will take place in Lucerne on 19 September 2026.
Burki co-founded his publishing house in 1998 and has been running it ever since. «Der gesunde Menschenversand» is now regarded as one of the most important publishers of spoken-word literature in the German-speaking world and has helped a number of authors gain greater prominence and popularity through books, events and audio recordings.
«The Lucerne-based publisher and cultural mediator can be described as a true pioneer of the ‘spoken word scene’,» the Canton states. «As co-founder and director of the renowned Lucerne-based publishing house ‘Der gesunde Menschenversand’, he has been championing spoken-word literature for decades.»
The Central Switzerland Culture Prize is an award for «significant scientific or cultural achievements that focus on a field of nature or intellectual life in Central Switzerland,» according to the Canton of Lucerne’s cultural promotion website. The prize is awarded by the Central Switzerland Cultural Foundation, whose board of trustees consists of one member of the cantonal government from each of the Central Swiss cantons of Lucerne, Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Obwalden and Nidwalden as well as one member of the Department of Cultural Promotion & Outreach of the Canton of Lucerne.
