Chris Kraus Cold Blood: Dutch rights pre-empted by Signatuur, Italian rights sold to SEM Libri

We were happy to accept a pre-empt offer for Dutch rights to Chris Kraus’ Cold Blood by Signatuur and to sell Italian rights to SEM Libri in an auction. Here’s the list of languages and publishers so far:

Dutch (Signatuur)
English (Picador)
French (Belfond)
Italian (SEM Libri)

The French edition of Cold Blood has been nominated for the ›Prix Nerval Goethe‹ by the French Goethe-Institut.

Sasha Filipenko Red Crosses: Dutch rights sold to Meridiaan

Those of you who met with us in Frankfurt already know this: We’ve sold Dutch rights of Diogenes’ spring 2020 top title Red Crosses by Sasha Filipenko to Nelleke Geel at Meridiaan in a three-way auction. Meridiaan is the Dutch home of Nino Haratischwili and Hilary Mantel.

We’ve also received two important endorsements for this book:
»Sasha Filipenko is one of those young writers who immediately gained a reputation for being a serious author. If you want to get inside the head of modern, young Russia, read Filipenko.«
Svetlana Alexievich

»An important, necessary book. Both for Russia, which suffers from historic amnesia, and Europe which is also running the risk of losing its historic memory.«
Dmitry Glukhovsky (author of Metro 2033)

Here’s the list of rights sold of this title to date:
Croatian (Bozicevic)
Czech (Pistorius)
Dutch (Meridiaan)
English/world (Europa Editions)
French (Éditions des Syrtes)
Hungarian (Európa)
Italian (Edizioni e/o)
Polish (Agora)
Russian original publisher: Vremya
 

Doris Dörrie Living, Writing, Breathing top ten Spiegel bestseller, ›Oscars‹ and press

Doris Dörrie’s Living, Writing, Breathing has been in the top 20 of the Spiegel non-fiction bestseller list for 14 weeks now (and counting), most recently at # 8. In absolute figures, this means sales of 50’000 copies.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Beverly Hills, California) has officially invited Doris Dörrie to join them as a member. This means that from next year onwards, she has a vote in the ›Academy Awards‹ (more commonly called the ›Oscars‹).

Meanwhile, enthusiastic press, TV interviews and radio reviews continue to pour in for her new book, here are three quotes from them:
»Doris Dörrie details how reading and writing make up her life-support system.«
Günter Keil / Augsburger Allgemeine 

»That’s precisely why I like this book, because it’s so anecdotal: You [Doris Dörrie] reveal a great deal about yourself.«
Markus Lanz / ZDF, Mainz

»It’s more than an invitation to write, it also gives the reader a detailed insight into Doris Dörrie’s life.« 
Sabine Brandi / WDR 5, Cologne

Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks sold to Norton, W&N, La Nave di Teseo, and Intrínseca

Patricia Highsmith would have turned 100 in 2021 – and on that occasion Diogenes will publish Her Diaries and Notebooks on that occasion. After presenting this to a few publishers in Frankfurt, there was quite a press buzz when the news of the sale of US rights to Liveright/Norton leaked to the media. Here’s a quote from Edward Helmore of The Guardian:

»It promises to be one of the literary highlights of 2021 – publication of the diaries of Patricia Highsmith, one of the most conflicted, fascinating novelists of the 20th century.«

This is the list of international publishers so far:
English (North America): Liveright/Norton (editor: Bob Weil)
English (UK): Weidenfeld & Nicholson (editor: Lettice Franklin; pre-empt)
Italian: La Nave di Teseo
Portuguese (Brazil): Intrínseca

This gives us a total of five territories that the book is going to be available in. The full English manuscript will be ready by April 2020. We are aiming for simultaneous publication in the second half of 2021.

Please find more press resonance here:
New York Times
The Guardian

Christoph Poschenrieder’s The Invisible Novel praised by the press

»With his small yet fortunately clearly visible novel Christoph Poschenrieder manages to bring to mind a writer who deserves to be pulled from relative obscurity.« 
Kristina Maidt-Zinke / Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich

»The author plays his game with the fact-devout reader – a fun and informative game which doesn’t only relate to the past.«
Karin Grossmann / Sächsische Zeitung, Dresden

»In truth, it’s about fake news. After all, that’s what was happening when the Foreign Minister of the German Reich wanted to buy an author in order to propagandize a political lie. Today, it takes place over Twitter.«
Hadwiga Fertsch-Röver / HR2 Kultur, Frankfurt

»A wonderfully disconcerting book, fantastic in the best sense of the word, and also witty.«
Frank Pommer / Die Rheinpfalz, Ludwigshafen

Tomi Ungerer This and That to be available in five languages

So far we have sold the following rights of Tomi Ungerer’s last children’s book This and That:
Catalan (Kalandraka)
French (École des Loisirs)
Galician (Kalandraka)
Spanish (Kalandraka)

Our novels abroad II: Bernhard Schlink in the top 50 of dangdang.com’s contemporary novels

The Chinese edition of Bernhard Schlink’s Olga made a big splash in China and is currently among the 50 best-selling titles on the platform dangdang.com. The ratings on douban are no less flattering.

Simone Lappert Jump: Italian rights sold, Swiss bestseller

Italian rights of Simone Lappert’s novel Jump were snapped up by Guanda in a three-way auction.

Jump was in the top ten of the Swiss Bestseller List for nine weeks, currently at # 13. 

In absolute figures, this means until now that the book has sold almost 25’000 copies.

Press continues to pour in, here are the latest quotes:
»It’s smart, gripping, entertaining.«
Christine Westermann / WDR 5, Cologne

»Every page of this novel radiates an irrepressible joy for writing, an irrepressible delight in creating unique characters and stories.«
Julian Schütt / SRF 2, Zurich

»The prologue is one single sentence, separated only by commas. On the first read, I didn’t even notice; it feels and sounds right just like that.«
Nina Schäfer / Frankfurter Rundschau

Swiss public broadcaster SRF did a portrait of Simone Lappert here.

Aside from that, pro helvetia (the Swiss national institute for the promotion of culture) presented Jump in their brochure 12 Swiss Books.

Thomas Meyer Wolkenbruch: Italian rights sold to Keller, Netflix

We have sold Italian rights for Thomas Meyer’s second Wolkenbruch novel to Keller Editore: Wolkenbruch’s Reckless Rendezvous with the Seductive Spy. 

In terms of domestic sales, the book has been in the top ten of the Swiss Bestseller List for eleven weeks now – and counting. At the moment, it ranks eithth. In absolute figures, this means sales of almost 25’000 copies so far. 

A film was made of the first instalment, Wolkenbruch’s Weird and Wonderful Journey into the Arms of a Shiksa – and if Netflix is available in your country, you should be able to find an English version of this film here (except in Switzerland, where the film is still being shown in cinemas).

Here are the latest press quotes:
»Scintillating in numerous parts. Prejudices crumble to the ground, leaving only a pitiful heap.«
Manuel Müller / Neue Zürcher Zeitung    

»Anyone hoping for a simple follow-up to Mordecai ›Motti‹ Wolkenbruch’s adventures in love will be disappointed by Wolkenbruch’s Reckless Rendez-Vous with the Seductive Spy – and all the better for it!«
Die Presse, Vienna

»The author takes unmistakable pleasure in deriding the postwar Nazis for their new ›Führer‹ and new ›Lebensborn‹ programme.«
Jochanan Shelliem / Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Berlin

»It’s actually a wonderful satire on the prejudices against Jews and the ›Jewish world conspiracy‹.«
Dorothee Meyer-Kahrweg / HR2 Kultur, Frankfurt

»This novel couldn’t be more topical. And perhaps that’s why Meyer’s wit comes across so deftly.«
Alexia Weiss / Wiener Zeitung, Vienna

»It’s a wild ride with Meyer.«
Erich C. Setzwein / Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich

Martin Suter Allmen and the Koi # 1 Spiegel and Swiss Bestseller

Christmas came early this year for Martin Suter: His latest novel Allmen and the Koi made it to # 1 on both the German Spiegel and the Swiss bestseller list (in calendar week 39 and 41). Until today Allmen and the Koi has remained in the top 25 on both lists, so for nine and ten weeks.

And the press agrees:
»You can’t help but like him, this well-educated, talented, degenerate, maudlin, destitute snob, who wouldn’t survive one day without Carlos and Maria.«
Peter Korfmacher / Leipziger Volkszeitung 

»Amusing and with a wonderfully ironic voice, Suter describes Allmen’s koi fishing trips with a fantastic sense of place, thanks to Suter’s own experience of life on Ibiza.«
Münchner Merkur, Munich

»Martin Suter describes a great banquet in appetising detail, in which delicacies are served in a daring Japanese and Mediterranean fusion.«
Rainer Rönsch / Sächsische Zeitung, Dresden

Daniela Krien Love in Case of Emergency to be published in 17 languages

I am pleased to tell you that since publication, we have sold 120’000 copies of Daniela Krien’s Love in Case of Emergency in its German edition alone. In Spiegel bestseller list figures, this means 3 weeks at # 1 and all in all 40 weeks on the list. 

With Norwegian, Thai and Finnish rights sold to Forlaget Press, Library House and Lurra, Love in Case of Emergency is going to be published in 17 languages.

Foreign rights for the following languages are sold to:
Catalan (Bromera) 
Chinese/CN (Beijing October Literature & Art)
Danish (Arvids) 
Dutch (Ambo|Anthos) 
English/UK (MacLehose Press)
English/US (HarperVia) 
Finnish (Lurra)
French (Albin Michel) 
Hebrew (Keter)
Italian (Corbaccio) 
Lithuanian (Gelmes)
Norwegian (Forlaget Press)
Romanian (Humanitas)
Slovene (Mladinska Knjiga)
Spanish (Grijalbo)
Thai (Library House)
 

Andrej Kurkow’s Grey Bees: Romanian rights sold to Paralela 45

Andrej Kurkow’s Grey Bees has been or is being published in nine languages and by the following publishers:

English/UK (Quercus / MacLehose)
French (Liana Levi)
Italian (Keller)
Danish (Mr. East)
Persian (Ofoq)
Romanian (Paralela 45)
Russian (Folio, original publisher)
Ukrainian (Folio)

Our novels abroad I: Benedict Wells featured by Vogue in the USA

The End of Loneliness is the first book shown on Vogue's list of  ›the best novels of 2019‹. Enjoy!