Christoph Giesen

Christoph Giesen was selected for the 2026 Shortlist with A Daring Escape from China to the U.S. via the Darién Gap.

Christoph Giesen was born in Berlin. Since August 2025, he has been DER SPIEGEL‘s correspondent in London. Before that, he reported from Beijing. From 2010 to 2022, he worked for the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He studied journalism, political science, and “China in Comparative Perspective” in Leipzig, Shanghai, and at the London School of Economics. He is co-author of the book “The Chinese Phantom: The Hunt for the World’s Most Dangerous Arms Dealer”.

Benja Zehr

Benja Zehr was selected for the 2026 Shortlist with Hamshika’s Puzzle.

Benja designs and programmes interactive elements for Data and Visualisation for Die Zeit and is a freelance coder. Before joining Die Zeit, she worked for the Funke Media Group and Swiss Radio and Television (SRF).