The Background to new books in german

new books in german is a twice yearly journal aimed chiefly at busy British and American editors who would like to publish more translations but would also appreciate independent help in finding the right titles from among the thousands published each year in the German language. In addition, the journal is sent to libraries, to German departments in universities, to booksellers, to translators and to others who have expressed interest in reading books in German. Three thousand copies of the journal are distributed throughout the world, by the Goethe-Institut, by the Austrian, German and Swiss Embassies, by the International Division of the Frankfurt Book Fair and the German Book Office in New York as well as from the central mailing list in London. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact the Administrator.

The initiative for new books in german came from a seminar held in London in May 1996 at which representatives from many branches of the book trade met to discuss why relatively few books are translated from German into English, It was felt that readers of English were not being given access to some of the best books in a variety of fields, simply because they started out in a foreign language. A steering committee was set up to hold further discussions and to launch a journal, with members drawn from the Translators Association, the British Centre for Literary Translation, the Austrian Cultural Forum (formerly Institute), the German and Swiss Embassies, and the Goethe-Institut, and including a literary agent, a publisher and a bookseller. Editorial advisers are brought in for each issue, as are experienced readers to provide preliminary book reports.

With the help of the Publishers' Associations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, publishers in those countries are invited to send us the titles from their latest lists which they consider most suitable for translation. From these books the selection of recommended titles is made by the Editorial Committee, based on reports received from readers and the committee's experience of the world English market. Over two hundred titles have been reviewed so far, with additional general articles on books and their authors.

Financial and moral support for new books in German has been provided by the Foreign Ministries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Pro Helvetia (Arts Council of Switzerland), the Goethe-Institut in Munich and London, the German Book Office in New York, the International Division of the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels. In addition, once a book has been chosen independently by the Editorial Committee, its German publishers make a fixed contribution to the journal's costs. We are grateful to all these supporters, and also to the organisations represented on the Steering Committee, for their continued assistance.