Beloved Mother – Canım Annem (Geliebte Mutter – Canım Annem) by Çiğdem Akyol

A moving and quietly powerful debut novel which will have a strong appeal for readers of Elif Shafak. Drawing on autobiographical details, this literary work traces a complex mother-daughter relationship shaped by migration, tradition, trauma, and resilience.

Life Insurance (Lebensversicherung) by Kathrin Bach

A nameless narrator explores the psychology of German angst through the themes of familial duty, inherited trauma, and the bureaucratic obsession with risk management. ‘Life Insurance’ is a moving, inventive portrait of fear and the quiet absurdities of everyday life.

The Son and the Snowflake (Der Sohn und das Schneeflöckchen) by Vernese Berbo

This poignant story explores the human impact of war, first loves and the bond between two sisters. Set primarily in Sarajevo. An absorbing and engaging read, which will appeal to readers of The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili.

We’ll Manage (Wir kommen zurecht) by Annika Büsing

An empathetic and beautifully written coming-of-age novel that quietly transforms the everyday into something luminous. Told mostly from the perspective of seventeen-year-old Philip, the book explores male adolescence.

The Horrors of Others (Die Schreken der Anderen) by Martina Clavadetscher

At the beginning of this multi-layered novel, a body is found in a remote, frozen Swiss lake. The gruesome discovery piques the interest of a local archivist called Schibig and elderly Rosa. A detective thriller, with complex arcs, cliffhanger chapter endings, and a final dramatic conclusion.

The Time of Heroes (Zeit der Mutigen) by Dimitré Dinev

This novel follows interwoven family stories shaped by war, moving between Austria and Bulgaria. At its moral centre is a quiet, stubborn commitment to naming the dead in the face of state violence and historical forgetting.

Feathers Everywhere (Und Federn überall) by Nava Ebrahimi

Taking place over one day at a poultry slaughterhouse that represents the economics of a rural German town. Ebrahimi deftly deals with themes of economic disparity and the dehumanisation of modern work.

Botany of Madness (Botanik des Wahnsinns) by Leon Engler

This literary memoir captures Engler’s struggles to come to terms with his parents’ mental illnesses, interspersed with accounts of his work as a psychologist in a psychiatric clinic. Written in generous and compassionate prose. 

Medulla (Medulla) by Verena Güntner

A daring, necessary work of literary fiction, following three women in their late 30s and early 40s, that challenges conventional depictions of motherhood, partnership, and femininity and will resonate with English-language readers interested in feminist narratives.

Fabula Rasa, or The Queen of the Grand Hotel (Fabula Rasa oder die Königin des Grand Hotels) by Vea Kaiser

Set in a grand Viennese hotel, this sweeping literary saga is based on the true story of a bookkeeper who defrauded a luxurious Viennese hotels out of more than €3 million.

Rage is a Bright Star (Die Wut ist ein Heller Stern) by Anja Kampmann

Hedda is an aerial performer in the Alkazar variety in Hamburg. Her life is full of apparent glamour until the chosen family she has found in the club scene start to ‘disappear’ and new faces turn up in the crowd.

Son of a Dog (Hundesohn) by Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç

Told from the perspective of Zeko, a gay, Muslim man living in Berlin, this novel elegantly blurs the line between past and present. Tracing Zeko’s daily life in Berlin while building toward a meeting with his childhood friend and former love, Hassan.

Gym (Gym) by Verena Kessler

‘Gym’ is a story for our fitness-obsessed times: a fun, highly readable book, full of wryly observed episodes from modern life, and perfect for fans of Lisa Taddeo and Ottessa Moshfegh. 

To the Stars Against All Odds (Durch das Raue zu den Sternen) by Christopher Kloeble

Set in 1990s rural Bavaria, the novel follows thirteen-year-old Arkadia Fink, nicknamed ‘Moll’, as she grieves for her eccentric, music-obsessed mother after her mysterious disappearance.

Sun and Moon (Die Sonne und der Mond) by Chris Kraus

A literary firework, bursting with anarchic humour and outrageous ideas, and will delight fans of Angela Carter. ‘Sun and Moon’ follows two women, charting their friendship, rivalry, separations and reconciliation.

We Were Never in the Sea (Im Meer waren wir nie) by Meral Kureyshi

Set in present-day Switzerland, this novel explores the emotional life of an unnamed narrator as she reflects on her relationships with those closest to her. A slow, contemplative read and graceful exploration of how life continues in the wake of loss. 

House in the Sun (Haus zur Sonne) by Thomas Melle

A German author with bipolar disorder is cancelled on Twitter for writing about the controversial awarding of the Nobel Prize to Handke. Melle is a master of satirical observation about the modern world.

Golden Sands (Goldstrand) by Katerina Poladjan

The famous Golden Sands resort on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is central to several events that are recounted on the analyst’s couch, where Eli, an aging film director, is trying to cure himself of a creative block.

All Very Bad (Alles Ganz Sclimm) by Julia Pustet

A chilling, sharply observed, and unsettlingly funny exploration of sex work, female friendship, betrayal, and the disorienting grey zones between power and vulnerability. Told through the acerbic voice of Susanne, the novel delves into the contradictions of contemporary womanhood.

The Other Life (Im Leben Nebenan) by Anne Sauer

Blending domestic realism with speculative fiction, Sauer employs a compelling ‘sliding doors’ premise to follow one woman as she lives two parallel versions of her life. The Other Life’ gently but firmly interrogates cultural expectations around womanhood.

Shadowcatcher (Die Schatten Fängerin) by Michael Stavarič

Stella is a fifteen-year-old girl whose close relationship with her father is partly born of their mutual love of the natural sciences and the wonders of the universe, and partly from their outsider status in a small town.

Stairs Made of Paper (Treppe aus Papier) by Henrik Szántó

The building at the centre of ‘Stairs Made of Paper’ harbours dark secrets within its walls, events that took place during World War Two. Henrik Szántó’s skill as a spoken-word artist and writer shines throughout. 

Karen W. (Karen W.) by Gerti Tetzner

A quietly powerful novel about a woman’s search for self-fulfilment in her work and a love story set in the early days of the GDR. Tetzner creates a story shaped by memory and reflection.

Verkin (Verkin) by David Wagner

A dazzling work of literary fiction that will appeal to fans of Orhan Pamuk. Told through the eyes of David, a German writer, the novel charts his encounter and evolving relationship with the unforgettable Verkin – a seventy-year-old Armenian-Turkish woman.

Born, Raised, and Murdered in Germany (Geboren, aufgewachsen und ermordet in Deutschland) by Cetin Gültekin and Mutlu Kocak

A moving and profoundly personal account of the life and death of Gökhan Gültekin – one of the nine victims of the racially motivated terrorist attack in Hanau, Germany, in 2020.

The Last Sky (Der Letzte Himmel) by Alena Jabarine

A powerful account of life in Palestine. From 2020 to 2022, Jabarine lived in Ramallah, working for a German aid organisation, and documenting everyday life under Israeli occupation. Her voice is journalistic and reflective

In the Other Direction, Now: My Journey Through East Africa. (In die andere Richtung jetzt: Eine Reise durch Ostafrika) by Navid Kermani

A remarkable work of literary non-fiction that follows the author through a vast arc of East African countries, charting the emotional, environmental, and political fault lines that define this region today.

Café Marx: The Institute for Social Research From Its Beginnings to the Frankfurt School. (Café Marx. Das Institut für Sozialforschung von den Anfängen bis zur Frankfurter Schule.) by Philipp Lenhard

A compelling, panoramic intellectual history of the Frankfurt School on its centenary, tracing the rise, evolution, and lasting global influence of the Institute for Social Research.

The M Word: Against the Contempt of Morality (Das M Wort) by Anne Rabe

In this riveting snapshot of the political shift to the right in Germany, presented in the engaging voice of an activist writer, Anne Rabe intersperses an analysis of current-day morality. An approachable and rigorous documentation of current and past events.