The German Book Prize is given to the best German-language novel just before the start of Frankfurter Buchmesse as an annual award from the Stiftung Buchkultur and Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels (Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association). The prize is intended to draw international attention to authors writing in German, to reading in general, and to the medium of the book. Publishing companies can apply for the award by directly nominating their titles. The German Book Prize ensures an independent and competent prize decision: seven jurors personally assess all the qualifying books which are submitted.