Friederike Barakat, Foreign Rights Director at the Carl Hanser Verlag, speaks to NBG about Hanser’s Reading for Life series
Sheridan Marshall: What inspired Hanser to create the Reading for Life series? Was there a particular gap in the market or a cultural moment that prompted it?
Life is becoming ever more complicated and we are trying ever more desperately to concentrate on the essentials. But what are the essentials? The Reading for Life series aims to answer precisely this question.
Friederike Barakat
Friederike Barakat: Life is becoming ever more complicated and we are trying ever more desperately to concentrate on the essentials. But what are the essentials? The Reading for Life series aims to answer precisely this question. There are big issues at stake here. But when, if not now, is the time for big issues? The idea also arose from a great fondness for the simple and the everyday. One of these simple questions is: how do others actually live, sleep, eat and play? The idea took shape through many conversations at Hanser Berlin. And it was also born out of a desire to play, to try something new and to dare a publishing adventure. Hanser Berlin’s publisher, Lina Muzur says: ‘It was only later that I realised that it was also secretly born out of a desire to argue, because until all the decisions that have to be made to bring a series like this to life are made, there is a lot of arguing and discussion. That was sometimes exciting and exhausting, and sometimes inspiring.’
SM: How did you arrive at the name ‘Reading for Life’? What does it signify about the goals or themes of the series?
FB: First and foremost, it is a slogan that sounds very good in German and fits the series perfectly, because that’s what it’s all about: reading life, in the sense of reading, but also in the sense of understanding, fathoming, sounding out.
SM: The series spans a wide range of life experiences. So far there are titles on ageing, sleeping, arguing, loving, inhabiting, and working, with four further titles planned on playing, eating, travelling, and speaking. What criteria guided your selection of topics?
FB: The main criteria that guided us was that the topic should be an essential part of life. Things that define us humans all over the world, things we can’t do without.
SM: Could you give us a flavour of the series and its unique approach?
The series has established a special and new form of essay, that mixes philosophical thought, personal memoir, and general observations. It’s a mix that results in a warm-hearted and very attractive tone.
Friederike Barakat
FB: The series has established a special and new form of essay, that mixes philosophical thought, personal memoir, and general observations. It’s a mix that results in a warm-hearted and very attractive tone.
SM: Did you set any formal or informal editorial guidelines for the tone, format, or style of the books? How did you balance consistency across the series with each author’s individual voice?
FB: All authors were completely free in writing about their topic. The only formal rule they had to follow was the number of pages. We wanted to keep the books short at 98 pages.
SM: Was there a guiding idea behind limiting the series to ten books? Did you conceive of it as a closed project from the start?
FB: From the start it was clear that the series should be limited in order to keep it concentrated. And, you know, life is limited as well.
SM: How did you go about selecting the authors for the series? Were these writers you already had in mind, or did the themes lead you to new voices?
FB: We already had some of the authors in mind and then did everything we could to get them to agree, but for a few topics it was a little more difficult to find the perfect match and it also took time and some discussions. We were not disappointed at all to have an all-female group in the end.
SM: What was the collaboration process like with the authors? Did they work independently, or was there a shared conversation about the series as a whole?
FB: Each author worked on her own. There might have been some bilateral discussions as some authors knew each other.
SM: What kind of reader did you have in mind for this series? Are the books aimed at a general audience, or are they more targeted toward particular groups or interests?
FB: The series is definitely for everybody. The readers should be as general as the topics are.
SM: How has the response been so far – from readers, booksellers, and critics? Have any of the books sparked particular conversations or unexpected feedback?
FB: The first book in the series was, of all things, Elke Heidenreich’s book on ageing, which has now sold 650,000 copies and is still going strong. It has now been on the SPIEGEL Bestseller list for nearly 18 months, and is number five right now. It was definitely a good – even overwhelming – start for the series.
This week Doris Dörrie’s book on inhabiting, which just came out, is number three on the bestseller list.
SM: Once the ten titles are out, would you consider a ‘second season’ or continuation in a new form?
FB: There won’t be a second season, but there will be a single bonus volume, which we will announce in due course. However, there will be a second series titled SEVEN, comprising seven books, all of which will be published in 2027.
SM: If you could add one more title or theme to the series – something you wish had made the cut – what would it be, and why?
FB: There will be one additional title that will be a perfect conclusion for the series. However, two topics that I am missing are DREAMING and READING – but isn’t that part of life as well that we are always longing for more?
SM: Has there been any interest in foreign rights sales for individual titles, or for the series as a whole?
Heidenreich’s AGEING now has nine international publishers and there is finally an English offer on the table. Italian publisher EDT has also bought Enzensberger’s SLEEPING and just closed a deal with us for Roig’s LOVING. We have licensed the series as a whole to the German audio publisher Roof Music.
Friederike Bakarat
FB: Heidenreich’s AGEING now has nine international publishers and there is finally an English offer on the table. Italian publisher EDT has also bought Enzensberger’s SLEEPING and just closed a deal with us for Roig’s LOVING. We have licensed the series as a whole to the German audio publisher Roof Music.
SM: We would love all these titles to be available for an English-language audience. Could you give us your best pitch to pique the interest of UK and US-based publishing houses?!
FB: Reading Hanser Berlin’s Reading for life series brings you the essence of life in strong literary voices. Don’t miss out on it if you are curious to learn how others live.
Thank you so much for giving this interview!
Learn more about the series (in German)
View a pdf about the series (in English)
Friederike Barakat is the Rights Director at
Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
Sheridan Marshall is the Editorial Consultant at New Books in German. She works as a freelance literary editor and translator.
