IN BRIEF Ingo Schulze Neue Leben (New Lives) Berlin Verlag, October 2005, 752 pp. ISBN 3-8270-0052-1 'The best thing to happen to German literature.' – Thomas Steinfeld 'A grandiose feat of story-telling.' – Der Spiegel Ingo Schulze of Simple Stories fame is back with a fabulous new novel. The setting is a provincial town in former East Germany, the date January 1999. Enrico Türmer, theatre enthusiast and closet writer, turns his back on art and tries his hand at a newly established newspaper. Apparently liberated by the obligation to describe the world, he throws himself into active living and shares his experiences in letters to his nearest and dearest. Thus his dream comes true as he finds himself writing the novel of his life – recent history is reflected, and accepted truths re-examined along the way. In his inimitable style, blending humour and panache, Ingo Schulze has created an important and hugely entertaining mirror of his times. A lengthy tome, but writing of this calibre remains a pleasure throughout. Ingo Schulze was born in Dresden in 1962. He lives in Berlin and is the author of two highly acclaimed books, both of which have been translated into many languages: 33 Augenblicke des Glücks and Simple Stories (published by Knopf, Macmillan, Fayard, Mondadori, Destino, Norstedt, Gyldendal and others). Translation rights available from: Berlin Verlag Tel: +49 30 4438 450 E-mail: s.oswald@berlinverlag.de Contact: Sabine Oswald For more information on the 'IN BRIEF' titles, authors and publishing houses, please contact Rebecca Morrison