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A selection of books in English translation recommended for reviewers, booksellers, literary festivals and readers.
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| FICTION |
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Eugen Ruge
Translated by Anthea Bell
Faber & Faber
‘I first heard about In Times of Fading Light after it won the German Book Prize and it sounded like exactly the kind of novel I might love – an epic story of a family, written with elegance and wit, that also gave the reader an intimate insight into a different world, in this case the GDR.’
– Sarah Savitt, Editor
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Birgit Vanderbeke
Translated by Jamie Bulloch
Peirene Press
‘I love this monologue. It’s the first Peirene book which made me laugh out loud with tears in my eyes. The author lays bare the contradictory logic of an inflexible mind. This is a poignant yet hilarious narrative with a brilliant ending.’
– Meike Ziervogel, Publisher
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Charlotte Roche
Translated by Tim Mohr
Fourth Estate, HarperCollins
‘Elizabeth Kiehl is a twenty-first century wife who goes to great efforts to please her husband in the bedroom. She is also an extremely thoughtful and committed mother. But her compartmentalised life is taking its toll and Elizabeth is heading for complete psychological collapse.
From the author of the international bestseller Wetlands, this new novel is a taboo-breaking exploration of sex, death and marriage that is impossible to ignore.’
– Nicholas Pearson, Editor
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Abbas Khider
Translated by Donal McLaughlin
Seagull Books
‘Iraqi fiction. Written in German. Now in English. The relevance of this book is obvious. Add a great story, told in eight different ways, and a remarkable author, known for great public readings. I longed to translate this book. Stunning story-telling. And a bridge between East and West.’
– Donal McLaughlin, Translator
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| THRILLER |
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Simon Urban
Translated by Katy Derbyshire
Harvill Secker
‘Plan D is one of those extraordinary thrillers that has it all – a fantastic premise, a wonderful setting, great writing and brilliant characterisation. I know fans of Robert Harris’ Fatherland and John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold will love it just as much as I did.’
– Alison Hennessey, Senior Crime Editor
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Martin Suter
Translated by Jamie Bulloch
Atlantic Books
‘As recession bites in Europe, Maravan – a Tamil dishwasher and undiscovered culinary genius – launches his own venture: romantic catering for couples. But before too long success sours, and along with Andrea, a beautiful waitress, Maravan is plunged deep into an underworld where murder and sex feed otherwise unquenchable thirsts ...’– James Roxburgh, Editor
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| NON-FICTION |
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Florian Illies
Translated by Shaun Whiteside
Clerkenwell Press
‘1913 by Florian Illies is a dazzling portrait of a year that changed everything, told by interweaving the stories of artists, writers and even the occasional dictator.
It has been number one in the Spiegel bestseller lists for the past nine weeks.’– Geoff Mulligan, Editor
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Hellmut G. Haasis
Translated by William Odom
Skyhorse Publishing
‘Georg Elser was just an ordinary working-class citizen living in Munich, Germany. He was employed as a carpenter and had spent some time working in a watch factory. That all changed when he took it upon himself, without telling his family or friends, to single-handedly attempt to assassinate the most powerful man in all of Germany: the Führer, Adolf Hitler.’
– Jason Katzman, Editor
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| CHILDREN’S |
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Milena Baisch
Translated by Chantal Wright
Random House
‘Anton is a wonderful bundle of contradictions: he’s bolshy and a scaredy cat; he can be extremely sensitive but also a proper little tyke (pity his poor grandparents!). Making sure this complexity was reflected in his English voice was great fun.’
– Chantal Wright, Translator
Winner of the German Children’s Literature Prize
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Cornelia Funke
Translated by Oliver Latsch
Chicken House
‘Nobody is truly fearless. But in Cornelia Funke’s brilliant Mirrorworld series the characters have to pay the price for their reckless love and loyalty. Jacob is courageous, but he’s got to be clever too, or can Fox bring cunning as well as love to save the day? It’s fantastic storytelling – and a truly awesome world. I adore being back!’
– Barry Cunningham, Publisher & UK Editor
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| ALSO RECOMMENDED |
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Susann Pásztor
Translated by Shaun Whiteside
Atlantic Books
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Jan Costin Wagner
Translated by Anthea Bell
Harvill Secker
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Otfried Preußler
Translated by Anthea Bell
Andersen Press
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