Book Fairs, Publishers and Institutions in Germany

When Joachim Unseld took over the FVA in 1994, only the name was left. Today its authors include Ernst-Wilhelm Händler, Ulla Lenze and Nino Haratischwili.

After its birth in 1920 and its liquidation in 1938 because of the Nuremberg Laws, the Frankfurt Publishing Company (Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt / FVA) was re-founded by Alfred Andersch and Eugen Kogon in 1951. Its programmatic focus was young postwar writers such as Heinrich Böll and Ingeborg Bachmann, who made her literary debut with the FVA. In 1987, Ida and Klaus Schöffling re-founded the FVA for a third time. Then the end came again in the early 1990s. Problems with the shareholders caused the Schöfflings to separate themselves from the publishing house – and with them went the authors. At this time Joachim Unseld was poised to go independent. The name and tradition of the FVA, which had made a reputation for itself with outstanding new releases, induced him to buy the publishing house in 1994.

New authors, new literature

The house’s first author was Ernst-Wilhelm Händler. Writer and publisher came together thanks to the mediation of Inge Poppe, co-founder of the first Authors’ Bookshop in Munich. Unseld describes the meeting “as a stroke of luck”. Händler, then under contract to Greno, wanted to change publishers; the FVA was in its beginnings and on the lookout for authors that fit into the publishing program. The focus of the program is on contemporary German literature, literary debuts of young writers, new voices of the present. Also at the core of the program are international authors who are not yet known to the German audience. “Book after book, we publish writers who are important to us, search for literature that lasts longer than the rapid turnover of the market, books that unsettle and rouse”, says Unseld, describing his concept, and its success has proved it right. Many of his discoveries such as Nora Bossong and Christa Hein have now become firmly established writers.

The Pollen Room (Das Blütenstaubzimmer) by the young Swiss author Zoë Jenny is an example of Unseld’s flair for discovering new talent. The novel of the then 23 year-old writer reached him by post – one of those “unsolicited manuscripts”. It is extremely rare that such a parcel becomes the literary discovery of the year, but the young author’s debut received considerable attention from literary critics, was awarded (among other prizes) the Aspekte Literature Prize and translated into 26 languages. Jenny was hailed as the voice of her generation.

The spring book

Contrary to the general trend of issuing a quantity of books in the spring and autumn programs, Unseld surprised the reading public in 1996. His Spring Program consisted of a single title: Die Zinkwanne (The Zinc Tub) by Margaret Mazzantini. In this single “spring book”, bookshops thought they already saw the decline of the young publishing house. In point of fact, however, it was a publishing concept: reduction. To be independent, for Unseld, means refusing to submit unconditionally to the laws of the market, “to be able to be enthusiastic about writers and their books over a long space of time, even if such a costly commitment seems to be financially unreasonable”.

“Art us what is ugly today and beautiful tomorrow”

When the autumn program of the FVA appeared in 2009, the design of the six books polarized the book trade. After his collaboration with Jonathan Meese, Unseld had again commissioned work from a contemporary artist. The covers were designed by the Leipzig artist Neo Rauch. The feedback from Unseld’s sales agent: half the bookshops refused the books, judging that they were unmarketable. The importance of a book cover has changed enormously in recent years. “Recently the discussion about the packaging has taken center stage to the detriment of the discussion about contents at sales agents conferences; they talk more emotionally and intensely about the cover than the contents. Currently the trade demands quite clearly the path of least resistance; a book has to be pretty, even if the cover has nothing to do with the content; it has to be appealing, nice.”

Unseld, on the contrary, sees the book as a total work of art. He describes his collaboration with Rauch as a “book art project in the old sense”. One of Rauch’s conditions was that he be able to read all the manuscripts beforehand so as better to arrive at an artistic and aesthetic design. A consideration that, for the publisher Unseld, was of immense importance: “The outside should be an expression of what lies within”. He has responded serenely to the debate about Rauch’s covers. As an independent publisher, he can allow himself this freedom. It is important for Unseld to work on only those book projects of which he is wholly convinced. “Our biggest decision was to stay small. To stay small so as to have time for our authors and for careful work on the text. Faith in the cultural dominance of sheer numbers is no longer tenable, is obsolete. We believe you have to have time in order to do a few things well.”