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Spring books

Leipzig Book Fair is celebrating Germany’s literary spring. A whole host of authors are joining in with their new publications. Recommended reads for this spring.

21.03.2017
© dpa - Leipzig Book Fair

“Sie kam aus Mariupol”

In “Sie kam aus Mariupol” (i.e. She Came from Mariupol), Natascha Wodin – an author of Russian descent – tells the gripping tale of her own mother’s life, a story she researched on the Internet. Together with her husband, her mother had been transported to Germany as a forced labourer in 1943, where she committed suicide when Wodin was ten years old. Without any false sentimentality, Wodin portrays the abysses of her family history.

“Kraft”

Jonas Lüscher’s debut novel “Kraft” (i.e. Kraft) is about Professor Richard Kraft, who is plagued by an unhappy marriage and financial worries. He hopes that both will be resolved by a science competition in Silicon Valley. Ironic and dark, this science-sceptical academic satire tells of the failure of an old-fashioned European intellectual who has been overtaken by digital progress.

“Kirio”

This year the author and translator Anne Weber is nominated for the second time for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize. The jury said the following about her new novel “Kirio” (i.e. Kirio): “Nothing is certain in this sparkling novel, which tells of a wondrous being and its travels right across France to Germany. A modern picaresque novel full of imaginative language and comedy.”

“Fürsorge”

“Fürsorge” (i.e. Care) by Anke Stelling describes the life of the dancer Nadja, who following a stage career now works as an interpreter at a ballet school. After many years she decides to visit her mother who has been looking after Nadja’s 16-year-old son ever since his birth. A novel about the relationship between mothers and children – a bond that can by no means be taken for granted.

“Evangelio”

In the midst of Luther Year, Feridun Zaimoglu’s “Evangelio” (i.e. Evangelio) explores the German reformer Martin Luther. To do so, he uses a fictional first-person narrator, the landsknecht Burkhard, who is assigned to keep Martin Luther safe while he remains for his own protection at Wartburg Castle. It is from his perspective that we are given insights into Luther’s life and agonies.

“Ewig aktuell”

After publishing his novel “Statt etwas oder Der letzte Rank” (i.e. Instead of Something or: The Last Turn) in January 2017, Martin Walser has brought out another book entitled “Ewig aktuell” (i.e. Eternally Topical) just two months later. The book gathers together comments, essays and speeches given by Walser to mark various occasions spanning more than half a century. The result is a journey through nearly 60 years of contemporary German history.

Leipzig Book Fair from 23 to 26 March 2017

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