Literature - Fairs, Publishers, Institutions

Leipzig Book Fair 2013; photo: Gesa Husemann

Leipzig Book Optimism – The 2013 Book Fair

It was March again – and fair season in Leipzig. From 14 to 17 March 2013, there were numerous events at stands and reading stages on the fairgrounds and in the city.More ...

The pavillon of Newsealand at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2012; photo: Gesa Husemann

Listening, Reading, Learning – the Frankfurt Book Fair

The Frankfurt Book Fair 2012 took place from October 10 to 14. New Zealand was one of the focal points. What were the others? What happened at the fair?More ...

The pensioner lodge in Dresden-Hellerau; photo: Shoshana Liessmann

Worldwide Ambassadors for German Literature

A residence program enables translators to spend time working in Germany at two unusual places.More ...

Selection – Short List for the 2012 Book Prize

The Association of the German Book Trade has chosen six authors who will now have to worry less than their colleagues about their sales.More ...

Pile of books; © Loredana La Rocca/Goethe Institut

Passion for the “Sachbuch” – An Interview with David Oels

David Oels, Junior Professor for Book Science at the University of Mainz, believes the Sachbuch merits more attention in cultural history than it has received.More ...

The Bonn publisher Stefan Weidle, the Chairman of the Kurt Wolff Foundation; photo: Barbara Weidle

Small Publishing Houses in Germany – An Interview with Stefan Weidle

There are about 80 small publishing houses in Germany. They promise independence not only with respect to content. An interview with the Chairman of the Kurt Wolff Foundation, the publisher Stefan Weidle.More ...

Impressions of the 2012 Leipzig Book Fair; photo: Leipziger Messe GmbH / Norman Rembarz

A Celebration of Reading – The 2012 Leipzig Book Fair

From March 15 to 18, Leipzig was the European capital of reading. Present as guests at the four-day Book Fair were over 2,000 publishers and almost 2,800 authors, and there were 163,500 visitors.More ...

Fighting for Literary Translators in Europe: PETRA

Literary translators are known as “bridge-builders”, yet unfortunately their financial situation does not at all reflect this appreciation of their value. PETRA intends to change this.More ...

Adventure Travel in Poetic Worlds – An Interview with Thomas Wohlfahrt

In an interview, Thomas Wohlfahrt, the director of the Berlin Literaturwerkstatt, talks about experiences, impulses and formats, and takes a position on the situation of poetry in Germany.More ...

Joachim Unseld (FVA); © Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt GmbH

“The principle of the publisher is independence” – The Frankfurt Publishing Company

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.More ...

The logos of The Institute for Creative Writing and Cultural Journalism of the University of Hildesheim and of the German Creative Writing Program in Leipzig.

So That There Are Fewer Bad Texts: Creative Writing in Hildesheim and Leipzig

You can learn to write better: the Leipzig German Creative Writing Program and the University of Hildesheim train writing talents to become authors.More ...

Opening of the Weltempfang, 04.10.2010; © Alexander Heimann

The Weltempfang – Frankfurt Welcomes the World

In 2010 the International Center and the Translators Center of the Frankfurt Book Fair were merged into the Weltempfang – Center for Politics, Literature and Translation.More ...

Monika Ziller; Copyright: dbv | Dr. Christian Sprang; Copyright: Börsenverein/Anne Hoffmann

Libraries and Publishers: Confrontation instead of Teamwork? Monika Ziller and Christian Sprang interviewed

The relationship between libraries and publishers is sometimes very tense. Two views on the issues.More ...

From Utilitarian Publisher to Household Name: 50 Years of dtv

In the autumn of 1961, German publishing company dtv (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag) presented its first range of books at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Today, it is one of Germany’s biggest publishing houses.More ...

Klaus Wagenbach, Photo: Wilhelm W. Reinke

“Not Big, But Recognisable” – Klaus Wagenbach Publishers

As yet, no international media firm has succeeded in luring Klaus Wagenbach out of his reserve. No accusation (orig. “Klageschrift”) could turn this unyieldingly unconventional Berlin publisher into a callous book exec.More ...

Buchpreis-nominierte Bücher; © Petra Gass

Junction of the Literary World: The German Book Prize

The German literary landscape is a dense network of authors, agents, publishers, critics, prizes and institutions. The German Book Prize grasps this texture perfectly.More ...

The Literary World: Suhrkamp Publishers Turns 60

In 2010 Suhrkamp Publishers turned 60. The publishing house, founded in 1950, can look back on six moving decades that shaped the German literary world. An appreciation.More ...

Kein & Aber Verlag – “I Believe that One Sows Authors”

The Kein & Aber Verlag was chosen as Publisher of the Year for 2010 by the Swiss book trade association and journal “Schweizer Buchhandel.” Peter Haag explains why he sees himself as a dealer in contents.More ...

SThe well-travelled publisher Gerhard Steidl is a paper man and his office is the only one in the company without a PC. © Karl Lagerfeld

Steidl-Verlag – “My books are meant to smell nice”

Passion and dedication to the book as a work of art reflect the philosophy of the Steidl-Verlag publishing house, which brings all the production stages together under one roof.More ...

Illustrations by Miriam Zedelius; © poetenladen/M. Zedelius

From Virtual to Printed Word: The “Poetenladen”

While other publishing houses search for ways in which to reach their readership online, Poetenladen followed the opposite approach: the original website spawned a publishing house in its own right.More ...

Open Access Models: New Approaches for Scientific and Scholarly Publishers

What looked like a specter in the eyes publishers is today part of daily operations. Thanks to new business models, quality assured publications and Open Access is no contradiction.More ...

Fairlag – An Action Coalition for Fair Publishing

In 2008 associations of authors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland joined forces in a coalition for action. Together they want to inform the public about the practices of subsidy presses.More ...

The Schiller house in Marbach; © Südpol-Redaktionsbüro/Sabine Tenta

Temple of Remembrance with Webcam: the House of Schiller’s Birth in Marbach

For the past 150 years, the house where Friedrich Schiller was born has been home to a variety of exhibitions. The latest, which opened in February 2009, documents the history of Schiller’s influence, thereby adding a further chapter to it.More ...

What Became of East German Publishers? An interview with Christoph Links

Twenty years ago, Christoph Links was the first East German publisher to found an independent publishing house for specialised books. Now he has brought out a book on the question of what became of former GDR publishing houses. In an interview with Goethe.de, he talks about his experience and his research.More ...

Uwe Tellkamp, Winner of the German Book Prize 2008; Copyright: Claus Setzer

The German Book Prize - Success story with side effects

The German Book Prize has proved itself to be a successful marketing instrument. But in its shadow, a large number of new publications are hidden from the view of readers and media alike.More ...

Mario Früh
Cop.: edition Büchergilde, 2008

edition Büchergilde: A Success Story for Good Books

The Büchergilde Gutenberg, a venerable union book club for good literature and fine books, has been going strong since 1924. And since 1998 edition Büchergilde, an affiliated privately-run publisher, has been drawing readers and customers outside the membership circle.More ...

E-Books as Witnesses to History – Treasures from the Book World at the Textor Verlag Publishing House in Frankfurt

The beginning of 2008 marked the launch of the Textor Verlag publishing house. It was brought into being by Vanessa Remy, who is also responsible for company strategy, and Wolfgang Klotz.More ...

Book Fairs, Publishers and Institutions in Germany