The Trick longlisted for the ›International Dublin Literary Award‹

Emanuel Bergmann's debut novel The Trick made it onto the longlist of the ›International Dublin Literary Award‹. The prize (formerly ›IMPAC Dublin Literary Award‹) comes with an honorarium of 100’000 Euros and is therefore one of the highest remunerated prizes for a single literary work. The shortlist will be announced in April, the winner in June.

The Trick is being published in 16 languages, including English (Simon&Schuster), French (Belfond), Spanish (Anagrama), Italian (La Nave di Teseo) and – soon to come – Chinese (simplified characters; Horizon).

Love in Case of Emergency sold to Ambo|Anthos

Ambo|Anthos has snapped up Dutch rights to Daniela Krien’s Love in Case of Emergency. It is the first rights sale for this title, which Diogenes will publish in March 2019.

A sample translation into English is in the making and is expected to be ready by the beginning of 2019. Please let us know if you would like to receive it.

Summer Women, Winter Women sold to Belfond

Even before publishing the French edition of Chris Kraus’ previous novel Cold Blood, Belfond has already bought the French rights to his latest novel Summer Women, Winter Women, 

There has been further press for the book we published in August 2018:
»Kraus is an excellent observer of the little things, setting details in grotesque perspective and making delicious comparisons.«
Stefan May / Die Presse, Vienna

Just published: Martin Suter Allmen and the Erotic Figurines

The bestselling crime novel series about the gentleman crook Allmen and his assistant Carlos sold more than 800’000 copies in German alone and was adapted for TV in 2017 by UFA fiction.
This fifth episode of the witty series revolves around lovers of art and the art of love. 

»Skilful and to be devoured. Wonderfully nostalgic, legendarily stylish.«
Welt am Sonntag, Berlin

»Suprising constellations, unforeseeable complications and calculable coalitions characterize this lightly written novel.«
Frauke Kaberka / dpa, Hamburg

»[...] his filmlike storytelling, in short scenes, always maintains suspense. This alone will be the reason why so many absolutely love reading Suter.«
Susann Klossek / Literarischer Monat, Zurich

»A specialist for visually gripping prose, who writes with a light hand without drifting into the superficial.«
Ulf Heise / Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Leipzig

Just published: Tomi Ungerer Emile

The beloved children’s book telling the moving story of a helpful octopus, has been published in a beautiful revised edition. The enchanting story of the courageous and friendly octopus Emile, who bravely helps himself and others, humans included. Tomi Ungerer’s charming illustrations not only accompany the story, but open up entirely new worlds.

Foreign rights of the following languages are currently sold:
Catalan (Kalandraka)
Chinese/CN (Beijing Poplar)
Chinese/TW (Weber)
French (Ecole des Loisirs)
Galician (Kalandraka)
Italian (Guido Tommasi)
Japanese (Bunka)
Portuguese/PT (Kalandraka)
Spanish/MX (Santillana)
Spanish/without MX (Kalandraka)

Now published in translation: Bernhard Schlink’s Olga in Italian

Now published in translation: Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Crime Novels in Chinese (simplified characters)

Even more enthusiastic press for Erich Hackl

The press is still raving about Erich Hackl, although Roped Together having been published back in August. Here are a few quotes from important reviews. Please let us know if you would like to see a longer list or the full press file.

»As a narrator, Hackl strikes the right note as well as taking the right position as an author for this touching story.«
Michael Opitz / Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Cologne

»Roped Together not only impresses with its literary finesse, but also does away with a tradition of heroes that has always led to disaster.«
Carsten Otte / taz, Berlin

»One of Austria’s virtuoso masters of language [. . .] who has done more to correct our image of history than a dozen historians put together.«
Thomas Rothschild / Die Presse, Vienna

»[...] a story of displacement and survival which explores the bonds of friendship and family.«
New Books in German, London

»A great book that erects a monument to Reinhold Duschka, who was a modest man all of his life. Required reading!«
Andreas Wallentin / WDR 5, Cologne

Six foreign sales of Unto Us a Son is Given – so far

Foreign rights of Donna Leon’s upcoming novel Unto Us a Son is Given (#28 in the series) have so far been sold to Grove/Atlantic (English/US), William Heinemann (English/UK), Calmann-Lévy (French), Seix Barral (Spanish/world) and Grup 62 (Catalan) so far.

The novel is scheduled to be published by Diogenes in June 2019. The definite manuscript for review has only just arrived.

Just published: Loriot Christmas with the Hoppenstedts

Year after year millions of German-speaking TV viewers celebrate Christmas with the Hoppenstedts. Where else could they learn how to make the holidays truly cosy (for instance with the game Let’s Build a Nuclear Power Plant) and how to get rid of wrapping paper surreptitiously in the stairwell? When Dicki recites thought-provoking poems and Grandpa Hoppenstedt proclaims: »There was more tinsel in the old days!« – that’s when they know it’s Christmas.

»Grandpa’s lament ›There was more tinsel in the old days!‹ is just as much part of pop culture as the poem that Dicki recites under the Christmas tree.«
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung

Just published: Rainer Zimnik Bill’s Balloon Ride

This is the story of Bill, who has lost interest in all of his toys and has only one thing on his mind: Flying! For his birthday he comes up with a plan: From all of his friends and relatives he asks for only one present – balloons. As many and as large as they can be. The following night he goes on a miraculous adventure with all the colourful balloons and his bed as an airship.

»This is the work of a high-calibre artist.«
Die Presse, Vienna

Published in:
Afrikaans (Human & Rousseau)
Chinese/CN (Publishing House of the Electronics Industry)
Danish (Carlsen)
Dutch (Lannoo)
English/UK (Methuen)
English/USA (Weston Woods)
French (Ecole des Loisirs)
Japanese (Alicekan Maki Shinsha)
Spanish/world (Susaeta)
Swedish (Carlsen)

Some of the rights are available again, please ask us if you have a specific query.

Now published in translation: Bernhard Schlink’s Olga in French

Now published in translation: Rolf Dobelli’s Questions to Ask of Life in Korean

Gems from our Backlist: Cow by Beat Sterchi

An immigrant arrives in a rich country, where he works on a cattle farm. He quickly knows his way around the animals and his new boss is very pleased with his work. However, the idyll is soon threatened: The farm doesn’t make the necessary profits because the farmer believes in his cows’ well-being instead of his financial means. The immigrant doesn’t fit into the village or the villagers don’t want him to. And food is becoming something you buy off a shelf, not something to know the production process of.

What sounds like written today and a very topical parable on the cleavages between man and animal, food and its origin, natives and newcomers dates back to the year 1983: 35 years ago, the book was published with Diogenes as Blösch by Beat Sterchi. Head of Zeus republished its English edition in hardcover (here) this year, announcing it as a »contemporary classic«.

Film rights are currently under option.