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German Riveter

Interested in German literature, but don’t know where to start? In the “German Riveter”, the European Literature Network has put together some recommendations! All of the books mentioned in the magazine can be found in our library in London or in our digital library – free of charge!

Download the "German Riveter" and more by the European Literature Network

Drawing: an eagle holding two books in its wings entitled West and East. © Axel Scheffler
Mexiko Street © Suhrkamp

Mexikoring [DE]

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz

Blaue Nacht © Suhrkamp

Blue Night

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz

Beton Rouge © Suhrkamp

Beton Rouge

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz

Der geteilte Himmel © dtv

Divided Heaven

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR
  • Author: Christa Wolf

Das Muschelessen © Rotbuch

The Musselfeast

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Birgit Vanderbeke

Ich freue mich, dass ich geboren bin © Piper

You would have missed me

  • Genre: Fiction, GDR, History
  • Author: Birgit Vanderbeke

Someday we`ll tell each other everything © MacLehose Press

Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Daniela Krien

One clear ice-cold January morning at the beginning of the 21st century © Fischer

One clear ice-cold January morning at the beginning of the 21st century

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature 
  • Author: Roland Schimmelpfennig

Er ist wieder da © Eichborn-Verlag

Er ist wieder da [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Timur Vermes

Die Hungrigen und die Satten © Bastei Lübbe

Die Hungrigen und die Satten [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature, Satire
  • Author: Timur Vermes

Heimat © Penguin Verlag

Heimat: a German family album

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Home, Holocaust, Memory
  • Author: Nora Krug

Heimsuchung © btb

Visitation

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, GDR, WWII, History
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck

Aller Tage Abend © Knaus Verlag, Random House

The end of Days

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck

Die Geschichte vom alten Kind © Eichborn-Verlag

The Old Child

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck

Gehen, Ging, Gegangen © Knaus Verlag, Random House

Go, Went, Gone

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Immigration, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck

Blueprint © Carl Hanser Verlag

Blueprint

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Theresia Enzensberger

Juja © Verbrecher Verlag

Juja [DE]

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili

Das achte Leben © Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt

The Eighth Life

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, History
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili

Die Katze und der General © Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt

Die Katze und der General [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili

Ein ganzes Leben © Carl Hanser Verlag

A whole life

  • Genre: Fiction, Home, Memory, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Robert Seethaler

Der kleine Wassermann © Thienemann

The little Water Sprite [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Otfried Preussler

Tintenherz © Dressler Verlag

Inkheart Trilogy [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke

Gespensterjäger © Loewe

Ghosthunter (series) [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke

Herr der DIebe © Dressler Verlag

The Thief Lord [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke

Drachenreiter © Dressler Verlag

Dragon Rider [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke

Austerlitz © Random House

Austerlitz

  • Genre: Fiction, Holocaust, Memory
  • Author: Winfried Georg Sebald

Das Schloss © ekz bibliotheksservice

The Castle

  • Genre: Fiction
  • Author: Franz Kafka

Die Lebensansichten des Katers Murr © Random House

The life and opinions of the Tomcat Murr

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire
  • Author: Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann

Die Mittagsfrau © Fischer

The Blind Side of the Heart

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck

Rücken an Rücken © Fischer

Back to Back

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck

Lagerfeuer © DuMont

West

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck

Apostoloff © Suhrkamp

Apostoloff

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Home
  • Author: Sibylle Lewitscharoff

Blumenberg © Suhrkamp

Blumenberg [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Philosophy, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Sibylle Lewitscharoff

Anne Richter © Osburg Verlag

Distant Signs

  • Genre: Fiction, GDR, History, Family, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Anne Richter

Am Ende bleiben die Zedern © Berlin Verlag

The storyteller

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, Memory, Home
  • Author: Pierre Jarawan

Kruso © Suhrkamp

Kruso

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Memory
  • Author: Lutz Seiler

Leere Herzen © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Empty Hearts [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Satire, Thriller
  • Author: Juli Zeh

Corpus Delicti © Schöffling & Co

The Method

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Juli Zeh

Die Vermessung der Welt © Rohwolt

Measuring the World

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature, History, Satire, Biography
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann

F © Rohwolt

F

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann

Finale Berlin © Schöffling & Co

Berlin Finale [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, WWII, History
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann

Allein in Berlin © aufbau

Alone in Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Hans Fallada

Kleiner Mann, was nun © aufbau

Little Man, What Now?

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Family, Weimar Republic
  • Author: Hans Fallada

Wolf unter Wölfen © aufbau

Wolf Among Wolves

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, History, Weimar Republic
  • Author: Hans Fallada

Der Alpdruck © aufbau

Nightmare in Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Hans Fallada

Es geschah in Berlin © Jaron

It happened in Berlin (Crime-Series) [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller, History 
  • Author: Horst Bosetzky

Emil und die Detektive © MFA FilmDistribution

Emil and the Detectives

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Erich Kästner

Der Trümmermörder © DuMont

Murderer in Ruins

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller, History, WWII
  • Author: Cay Rademacher

Tannöd © Hoffmann & Campe Verlag

Murder Farm

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Andrea Maria Schenkel

Crime © Piper

Verbrechen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ferdinand von Schirach

Der Fall Collini © btb Verlag

The Collini Case

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ferdinand von Schirach

Der Vorleser © Diogenes

The reader

  • Genre: Fiction, WWII, Contemporary Literature, Memory
  • Author: Bernhard Schlink

Selb © Diogenes

Self (Trilogy)

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII, Crime
  • Author: Bernhard Schlink

Sorry © Random House

Sorry

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Zoran Drvenkar

Kismet © Perseus Book Group

Kismet

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni

Bruder Kemal © Diogenes

Brother Kemal

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni

Happy Birthday © Perseus Book Group

Happy Birthday, Turk!

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni

Plan D © Schöffling & Co

Plan D

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Thriller, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Simon Urban

Die Stunde des Schakals © Kindler

The Hour of the Jackal

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Bernhard Jaumann

Die Therapie © Knaur

Therapy

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Sebastian Fitzek

Babylon Berlin

Babylon Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Volker Kutscher

Der nasse Fisch © Carlsen

Der nasse Fisch [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Volker Kutscher

Die Apothekerin © Diogenes

The Pharmacist

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ingrid Noll

Wie hoch die Wasser steigen © Carl Hanser Verlag

Wie hoch die Wasser steigen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Home
  • Author: Anja Kampmann

Hoppe © Fischer

Hoppe [DE]

  • Genre: Biography
  • Author: Felicitas Hoppe

Jakob der Lügner © Suhrkamp

Jacob the liar

  • Genre: Fiction, Holocaust
  • Author: Jurek Becker

Vielleicht Esther © Suhrkamp

Maybe Esther

  • Genre: History, Family, Contemporary Literature, Fiction
  • Author: Katja Petrowskaja

Memoirs of a polar bear © Amazon

Memoirs of a polar bear

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Society, GDR
  • Author: Yoko Tawada

Ashes for breakfast © Amazon

Ashes for Breakfast

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Durs Grünbein

Zündkerzen © Suhrkamp

Zündkerzen [DE]

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Durs Grünbein

Selbstportät mit Bienenschwarm © Fischer

Self-portrait with a swarm of bees

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Jan Wagner

Der Gott hinter dem Fenster © Haymon Verlag

Der Gott hinter dem Fenster [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Thriller
  • Author: Michael Krüger

Gedichte © insel taschenbuch

Poems of the west and east: west-eastern divan; bi-lingual edition of the complete poems

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Vom kleinen Maulwurf... © Hammer

Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Young Readers 0-4
  • Author: Werner Holzwarth

Ente, Tod und Tulpe © Kunstmann

Ente, Tod und Tulpe [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Young Readers 0-4
  • Author: Wolf Erlbruch

Zippel, das wirklich wahre Schlossgespenst © dtv

Zippel, das wirklich wahre Schlossgespenst [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Alex Rühle

Der Zahlenteufel © Hanser

Der Zahlenteufel: Ein Kopfkissenbuch für alle, die Angst vor der Mathematik haben [DE, ES]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Mathematics 
  • Author: Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Käptn Blaubär © Knaus Verlag, Random House

DIe 13-einhalb Leben des Käpt`n Blaubär [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Walter Moers

Anton taucht ab © Beltz & Gelberg

Anton taucht ab [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Milena Baisch

Rotkäppchen muss weinen © Fischer

Rotkäppchen muss weinen [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Beate Teresa Hanika

Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten © Arena

Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten (Trilogie) [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Kerstin Gier

Apfelkuchen und Baklava © Boje Verlag

Apfelkuchen und Baklava oder eine neue Heimat für Leila [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Beate Teresa Hanika

Was Dunkelheit war © Schöffling & Co

What darkness was

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Memory
  • Author: Inka Parei

Aus Mangel an Beweisen © Wunderhorn

Aus Mangel an Beweisen: deutsche Lyrik 2008-2018 [DE]

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Michael Braun, Hans Thill

Glückskind © Secession Verlag

Glückskind [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Philosophy, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Steven Uhly

Kingdom of Twilight © Amazon

Kingdom of Twilight

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Steven Uhly

Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt © Carl Hanser Verlag

All Russians Love Birch Trees

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Immigration
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa

Die juristischen Unschärfen einer Ehe © Carl Hanser Verlag

Die juristischen Unschärfen einer Ehe [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, LGBT, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa

Gott ist nicht schüchtern © Aufbau digital

City of Jasmine

  • Genre: Fiction, Home, Fate, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa

Das Ende der Einsamkeit © Diogenes

The End of Loneliness

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, Memory
  • Author: Benedict Wells

Wie der Soldat das Grammophon reparierte © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

How the soldier repairs the gramophone

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Home, Memory
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić

Vor dem Fest © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Before the feast

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Society
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić

Herkunft © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Herkunft [DE]

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature, Memory, Home, Biography
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić

Winterbienen © C.H.Beck

Winterbienen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII, Contemporary Literature
  • Author:  Norbert Scheuer

Brüder © Carl Hanser Verlag

Brüder [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Society
  • Author:  Jackie Thomae

Haltet Euer Herz bereit © Heyne

Red love: the story of an East German Family

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Family, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author:  Maxim Leo

Wo wir zu Hause sind © Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Wo wir zu Hause sind [DE]

  • Genre: History, Home, Family, Holocaust, Memory 
  • Author:  Maxim Leo

Miroloi © Carl Hanser Verlag

Miroloi [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Karen Köhler

Sechs Koffer © Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Sechs Koffer [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, History
  • Author:  Maxim Biller

Verwirrnis © Suhrkamp

Verwirrnis [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, LGBT, Society
  • Author: Christoph Hein 

Selected Poems © Amazon

Selected Poems

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Evelyn Schlag

Thick of it © Google Books

Thick of It

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Ulrike Almut Sandig

Anne Lister © Matthes & Seitz Berlin Verlag

Anne Lister: Eine erotische Biografie [DE]

  • Genre: Biography, History
  • Author: Angela Steidele

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