Berg was awarded the prize and a check for CHF30,000 (nearly $31,000) on Sunday at the BuchBasel book festivalExternal link in the north-western city of Basel.
Jury member Christine Richard lauded the novel for its sharp social criticism.
In her book, the author, who was born in the German city of Weimar and now lives in Switzerland, accompanies four young people through a socially divided Great Britain in which artificial intelligence has taken control.
Berg has “succeeded in writing a novel that is formally avant-garde and that captivates the readers in its innermost content,” the jury said in its decision.
The four other authors shortlisted will each receive CHF3,000 Swiss francs. The are Simone Lappert, who was nominated for “Der Sprung”, Tabea Steiner for “Balg”, Alain Claude Sulzer for “Unhaltbare Zustände” and Ivna Žic for “Die Nachkommende”.
German-language books in focus
The Swiss Book Prize 2008 was initiated by the Basel Literature Association and the Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association (SBVV). Swiss authors or authors living in Switzerland with German-language literary and essayistic works can apply for the Swiss Book Prize.
A total of 71 novels and essays from 45 publishers were reviewed by the jury this year.
The Swiss Book Prize is considered the most important literary award in Switzerland alongside the Grand Prix Literature, which is awarded by the Federal Office of Culture.
While all language regions of Switzerland are considered for the Grand Prix, only German-language works can be awarded the Book Prize.
More
More
Peter Stamm wins 2018 Swiss Book Prize
This content was published on
Swiss author Peter Stamm has won the 2018 Swiss Book Prize for his latest novel “Die sanfte Gleichgültigkeit der Welt”.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
This content was published on
The 2019 Nobel Prize for Literature went to Austrian writer Peter Handke. One hundred years ago it was Swiss poet Carl Spitteler who won the award.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.