Berthold Leibinger Foundation presents: “Für einen Augenblick für immer glücklich” and “Wish you were here” – The winner of the 2026 Comic Book Award

What remains of a childhood that begins amidst poverty, addiction and upheaval? And how can one remember without glossing over or dramatising? In his impressive (auto)biographical work, Shevek K. Selbert, winner of the 12th Berthold Leibinger Comic Book Award 2026, recounts the life stories of his biological mother and his childhood in a junkie household. The award-winning two-volume set “Für einen Augenblick für immer glücklich” and “Wish you were here” brings autobiographical memory to life in the medium of comics in an extraordinary way. Selbert combines drawings, photographs and archive material into a quiet, essayistic poetics that allows for gaps, makes ruptures visible and elevates the act of remembering itself to a theme. In warm shades of yellow and orange, a tentative narrative unfolds about intergenerational experiences, loss and gentle self-assurance. The award, worth 25,000 Euro, supports comic artists in the completion of a work and is regarded as one of the most significant awards in the German-speaking comic scene.