issue 34 - New Books in German

The German Book Prize 2013
Launched in 2005, the German
Book Prize is the equivalent of the
Man Booker Prize, seeking the best
novel written in German in each
publishing year. It is awarded at the
Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Four
previous winners have already been
translated into English: Arno Geiger’s
We Are Doing Fine (Ariadne Press
2010), Katharina Hacker’s The
Have-Nots (Europa Editions 2008),
Julia Franck’s The Blind Side of the
Heart (Harvill 2009) and the 2011
winner, In Zeiten des Abnehmenden
Lichts by Eugen Ruge, published this
year (Faber).
This will be New Books in German’s
second year of being the German Book
Prize’s English-language media-partner.
Our website features exclusive profiles
of the six shortlisted authors, synopses
of the novels and English extracts:
www.new-books-in-german.com
This year’s longlist was announced in
August and includes Nie Mehr Nacht
by Mirko Bonné (see review p. 2),
Soutines letzte Fahrt by Ralph Dutli
(see review p. 5) and Vogelweide by
Uwe Timm (see review p. 16), as well
as two titles reviewed in this year’s
spring issue: Wann wird es endlich
wieder so, wie es nie war by Joachim
Meyerhoff and Frühling der Barbaren
by Jonas Lüscher.
The 2013 prize will be awarded on
the evening of Monday, 7 October.
Translation Grants – How to Apply
Once a publisher has acquired the translation rights to a work of literature by a German writer, and a contract
has been signed between the publisher and a translator, the publisher can apply for a translation grant.
All fiction books featured in New Books in German and bought by an English-language publisher
are guaranteed a grant. Non-Fiction books by German and Swiss authors are guaranteed a grant.
Germany
Applications should be made to the Goethe-Institut in your country.
The local Goethe-Institut will then check whether your application is
complete and pass it on to the Goethe-Institut’s head office in Munich
with their comments.
If you are interested in publishing a title not featured in New Books in
German, please contact your local Goethe-Institut directly.
The form to be filled out for these applications is available at
the following webpage, which has a lot of useful information in
English: http://www.goethe.de/kue/lit/prj/uef/enindex.htm
Contact person in London:
Jens Boyer, Goethe-Institut London
Tel: +44 20 7596 4020 jens.boyer@london.goethe.org
Contact person in North America:
Brigitte Doellgast, Goethe-Institut New York
Tel: +1 212 439 8694 doellgast@newyork.goethe.org
Contact person in the Goethe-Institut Head Office:
Andreas Schmohl, Goethe-Institut Munich
Tel: +49 89 15921-852 schmohl@goethe.de
Austria
Applications for adult fiction or children’s books should be made to
the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture
in good time before the book goes to print.
Applications should include:
n copies of the contracts between the publishing houses and
with the translator
n information about the translator (CV and list of translated works)
n the translation or partial translation (where possible)
40 News and information
Switzerland
Pro Helvetia covers up to 100% of the effective translation costs for
literary works by Swiss authors (fiction and poetry), books for children
and teenagers (where they may cover part of the licensing fees), nonfiction
books by Swiss authors on cultural and artistic topics pertaining
to Switzerland, and plays by Swiss dramatists (including surtitles).
Applications must be submitted to Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council by the
licensed publisher. Pro Helvetia accepts applications at any time, but they
must be submitted at least three months before a book goes to print.
Application portal: www.myprohelvetia.ch
Applications should include:
n signed copies of the licence agreement and the translation contract
n original text and its translation (at least 20 pages)
Translation fees will be paid out directly to the translator by Pro Helvetia
upon publication. Translation fees are based on the translation contract
and calculated according to the established rates in the country in question.
Contact Person:
Angelika Salvisberg, Head, Literature and Society
Tel: +41 44 267 71 26 asalvisberg@prohelvetia.ch www.prohelvetia.ch.
The application form can be downloaded from:
www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/15055/form_foerderungsersuchen.pdf
This form is in German but help is on hand from:
Dr. Robert Stocker:
Gerhard Auinger:
Tel: +43-1-53120-6850 Tel: +43-1-53120-6852
robert.stocker@bmukk.gv.at gerhard.auinger@bmukk.gv.at