By Edward Nawotka

The seven member jury of the German Book Prize has narrowed down an initial 150 submissions to 20 semi-finalists. A shortlist of six will be announced on September 16, with the winner being presented at the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair. The prize, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. The winner receives 25,000 euros ($35,400); each runner up gets 2,500 euros ($3,500). You can read the full longlist here.

Random House’s parent company Bertlesmann has cancelled its annual bash at the Frankfurt Book Fair. PW reports: “A spokesperson for the publisher issued a statement saying that ‘this course of action is consistent with our not hosting any corporate social events this spring at the LBF or BEA. We’ve been informing many of our longstanding invited international guests of our intention, and while disappointed, they are unsurprised and respectful of our decision. Random House will explore other Frankfurt Book Fair social-event opportunities in future years.'” The company also confirmed it will have a smaller overall presence at the Fair than in previous years.