Our spring 2025 selection features book titles from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, handpicked by our expert jury as particularly suitable for an international audience.
We are very pleased to share our spring 2025 selection with you. Our expert jury handpicked these titles from a pool of around a hundred submissions submitted to us by their publishers. Each book showcased here captivated the jurors not just for its excellence, but also for its relevance and appeal to an English-speaking audience.
Thanks to the support of our partners the Austrian Federal Ministry for Art, Culture, Public Service and Sport, the Goethe-Institut and Pro Helvetia, there is guaranteed financial support for translation of each of these titles into English, should the rights be bought by an English-language publisher.
You can see an overview of each of the chosen books below. You can easily create and download a PDF with all of the information on the book by visiting its page and clicking the ‘create pdf’ button. We have organised the books alphabetically, by fiction and nonfiction.
You can see all of our recommendations which currently qualify for funding here.
Fiction
Slugs (Nacktschnecken), by Annemarie Andre
Müry Salzmann Verlag
This imaginative debut novel by Austrian writer and poet Annemarie Andre is told from the perspective of Charlotte, the youngest member of the Leitner family whose mother is struggling to make ends meet.
Adrift (Schweben), by Amira Ben Sauoud
Paul Zsolnay Verlag
Set in a dystopian near-future after the climate crisis on Earth has concluded, Amira Ben Saoud’s novel is a must-read for fans of Margaret Atwood and Stranger Things.
House of Liquid Gold (Haus des flüssigen Goldes), by Clemens Berger
Residenz Verlag
This highly contemporary satire by seasoned novelist Clemens Berger reads like an episode of ‘Black Mirror’, with capitalists and protesters facing off in an ethical war over the monetisation of breastmilk.
I see you everywhere, forever (Für immer seh ich dich wieder), by Yannic Han Biao Federer
Suhrkamp Verlag
This hard-hitting autobiographical novel reflects on the stillbirth of the author’s son, Gustav, and the impact this has on his parents, and on their wider family and friends.
Ginsterburg (Ginsterburg), by Arno Frank
Klett-Cotta – J.G. Cotta’sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger GmbH
Ginsterburg is a profoundly moving and haunting novel that focuses on ordinary Germans grappling with impossible choices under the Nazi regime.
A Hundred Words for Snow (Hundert Wörter für Schnee), by Franzobel
Paul Zsolnay Verlag
Prolific Austrian writer Franzobel takes up the real-life story of Arctic explorer Robert Peary and his team, and their race to be the first men to reach the North Pole.
Eighteenth Floor (Achtzehnter Stock), by Sara Gmuer
hanserblau (Carl Hanser Verlag)
‘Eighteenth Floor’ is the story of a young single mother living in post-COVID Berlin who refuses to give up on her dream of being an actress.
Loose Connection (Wackelkontakt), by Wolf Haas
Carl Hanser Verlag
‘Loose Connection’ is an inventive literary detective thriller, with two different stories that gradually intertwine and ‘solve’ each other.
Striker (Striker), by Helene Hegemann
Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch GmbH & Co. KG
This compelling, original portrait of life in contemporary Berlin takes its title from a mysterious graffiti artist.
Waltz for Nobody (Waltzer für Niemand), by Sophie Hunger
Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch
This original debut novel showcases Sophie Hunger’s talent as a lyric writer and explores the intimacy and escapism music can offer.
Russian Specialities (Russische Spezialitäten), by Dimitrij Kapitelman
Hanser Berlin (Carl Hanser Verlag)
‘Russian Specialities’ is a witty and thought-provoking read about the power of Russian propaganda.
Kurile Lake (Kurilensee), by Sophia Klink
Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt GmbH
Wrestling with her feelings about wanting to have children despite the grim outlook for the planet’s environment, a biologist spends a summer with her partner and other team members in a vast, unspoiled landscape, studying the spawning grounds of salmon on the shores of Kurile Lake.
Ten Pictures of a Love (Zehn Bilder einer Liebe), by Hannes Köhler
Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt GmbH
‘Ten Pictures of a Love’ is an accomplished novel that speaks to contemporary debates around gender roles, motherhood, and masculine identity.
Sprawling Wildly (Wild wuchern), by Katharina Köller
Penguin Verlag
‘Sprawling Wildly’ is the tale of a city girl in an abusive relationship who reunites with her hermit cousin off-grid in the Alps for a back-to-nature lesson in life.
Spook Fish (Gespensterfische), by Svealena Kutschke
Schöffling & Co.
‘Spook Fish’ is a slim volume of literary fiction interweaving the lives of patients and staff members at a psychiatric hospital in north Germany between the 1920s and the present day.
The Sum of Our Parts (Die Summe unserer Teile), by Paola Lopez
Tropen – J.G. Cotta’sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger GmbH
At the heart of this engaging family saga spanning three generations is the tale of three women who excel in various male-dominated fields of science.
Daily Soap (Daily Soap), by Nora Osagiobare
Kein & Aber
Nora Osagiobare’s striking debut is a satire set in contemporary Zurich, brimming with biting humour and social critique.
Seventy-four (Vierundsiebzig), by Ronya Othmann
Rowohlt Verlag
‘Seventy-four’ is a unique and vital novel that documents the Yazidi genocide.
Ósmann (Ósmann ), by Joachim B. Schmidt
Diogenes Verlag
Joachim B. Schmidt’s latest novel is a literary biography of Jón Ósmann (1862–1914), a ferryman who lived in the remote north of Iceland at a time when modernity was beginning to encroach on traditional Icelandic life.
The Grime on My Father’s Hands (Das Schwarz an den Händen meines Vaters), by Lena Schätte
S. Fischer Verlag
Told through a series of vignettes that juxtapose the narrator’s childhood memories with the more recent past, this unflinching portrait of the impact of alcoholism on a family packs a gut punch.
Wildhof (Wildhof), by Eva Strasser
Verlag Klaus Wagenbach
Strasser, a successful scriptwriter for TV and radio, has written a gentle, humorous debut novel that tackles big topics such as death, disappearance and betrayal.
The Best Day in a Long Time (Der beste Tag seit langem), by Jana Volkmann
Residenz Verlag
In this immersive story, animals unexpectedly start appearing everywhere and humans adjust to accommodate them.
This Is Not The Place (Hier bleiben können wir auch nicht), by Maren Wurster
Berlin Verlag in der Piper Verlag GmbH
Maren Wurster’s changes of perspective, from a first-person narrative to dialogue, and powerful sensory evocation, lend an immediacy to her storytelling and depth to her characters.
Non-fiction
Unharmed: Women and Pain (Unversehrt: Frauen und Schmerz), by Eva Biringer
Verlagsgruppe HarperCollins Deutschland GmbH
‘Unharmed’ explores the multifaceted relationship between women and pain, blending personal narratives, historical analysis, and scientific insights.
The Decision (Die Entscheidung), by Jens Bisky
Rowohlt.Berlin Verlag GmbH
‘The Decision’ is an accessible and detailed historical account of the decline of the Weimar Republic 1929–1934 by renowned journalist Jens Bisky.
Rowohlt.Berlin Verlag GmbH
A brilliant and original non-fiction title that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
New Beginnings (Aufbruch), by Stefan Klein
S. Fischer Verlag
Klein’s detailed three-part exploration of human behaviour in the face of disaster – whether it is climate change, AI or the ageing global population – pairs scientific findings and historical examples to illustrate how humankind has not always acted in its own best interests.
DuMont Buchverlag
This latest addition to the study of Thomas Mann’s life stands out for its humour, and for its provision of lucid insights into a watershed era of politics.
Klett-Cotta – J.G. Cotta’sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger GmbH
‘Worlds in Upheaval’ is a brilliant work of ‘entangled history’ that illuminates the connections between historical developments in different areas of Eurasia between 1200 BCE and 300 CE.
Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash
