Swiss writer Nelio Biedermann’s Lázár follows the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family across multiple generations and through huge historical upheavals: the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, both World Wars, the Nazi era, Soviet occupation, and the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. The central figure is Lajos von Lázár, born at the turn of the 20th century.
This gothic, intergenerational family saga is based on the author’s own family history and attracted intense competition with seven German-language publishers competing for the publication rights. During the Frankfurt Book Fair in autumn 2024, foreign rights were snapped up by twenty international publishers.
The English language version will appear in 2026, in Jamie Bulloch’s translation. We spoke to the author’s agent, Marc Koralnik of the Liepman literary agency about the novel’s success.
What stood out to you about the book when you first saw the manuscript? In what ways does the author’s youth shape the book?
There was a kind of literary magic in Nelio Biedermann’s manuscript. The voice felt fresh and modern, yet the style was assured, almost classical. I remember reading specific passages aloud over the phone to someone who didn’t know the author’s age. Their reaction was the same as mine: “Wow – who writes like this? So gorgeous, so effortless – translucent.”
Of course, the author’s youth shapes the book: it’s a young, contemporary gaze turned toward a century of old Europe. There’s a vitality in that contrast. And from a marketing perspective, yes—his young age and good looks are intriguing. But those things only matter after the writing proves itself. First and foremost, the novel had to stand out. The rest becomes part of a compelling story. If a PW headline before Frankfurt reads “Summit Books signs 21-year-old wunderkind,” that’s fine—it helps to create excitement, that’s part of the game.
What matters to me is that Nelio is a serious young writer. He experiences the world through writing. When he speaks about his novel, all the hype melts away. You hear how grounded, humble, and wise he is beyond his years.
Lázár will appear in over twenty countries. What made you feel this book could resonate internationally?
Nelio read widely in the canonical literature of the period, but he didn’t imitate it. He found his own voice—one that belongs unmistakably to the present day. That overlap between deep historical awareness and modern sensibility makes the novel both specific and globally relatable.
Marc Koralnik
It’s the voice—and the sheer joy of storytelling. Then, of course, the whole package: talent, youth, charm, and a sense of authenticity. This historical saga is also part of Nelio’s family story – and vice versa. When reading Lázár, you never get the feeling that it is contrived — to the contrary: the material seems to have come so naturally to its author, who succeeded in finding the right tone to create a coherent world.
Moreover, Lázár is deeply rooted in Mitteleuropa: Hungary, and beyond that, in a vanished literary landscape—the fin de siècle world between the fall of an empire, the scars of war, and the reordering of Europe. The historical European setting gives readers familiar points of reference, and the themes—family, class, loss—are universal.
Nelio read widely in the canonical literature of the period, but he didn’t imitate it. He found his own voice—one that belongs unmistakably to the present day. That overlap between deep historical awareness and modern sensibility makes the novel both specific and globally relatable.
You are a longstanding literary agent based in Zurich. What are the most rewarding elements of your role?
The ability to combine domestic literary agenting with international rights representation and sub-agenting is very rewarding. It’s a challenge to find the right balance between these different activities, but ideally, it also creates synergies. And it’s exciting to work in all directions – import and export – to take care of an international list of extraordinary authors, to discover stunning new voices, and to connect with a variety of publishers, editors, agents, and rights people all over the world.
Once an author has early international success, how do you think about building their long-term career?
There’s only so much one can plan. What we can do is try to identify the right authors and projects – those with true international potential – and connect them with the right publishers, those who understand literature in translation and think long-term.
Publishing literature in translation is a special art; finding a congenial translator is just the start. Presenting and selling a foreign author in a specific country requires outstanding efforts and skills. Too often, publishers treat translated fiction as if it were just another domestic book. That rarely works.
The best relationships are those built for the long run. Look at Judith Gurewich—she started Other Press with Peter Stamm, so to speak, and she’s still publishing him fourteen books later. That kind of sustained collaboration is rare, though; normally, publishers stop publishing an author when sales are disappointing. So, it’s important for us to select, and to keep the energy focused on books that promise international potential. Sometimes less is more. Some books do great in the domestic market but won’t necessarily travel.
Looking back, was there a pivotal moment or decision that shaped how you discover and champion new voices today?
…real satisfaction comes from conviction – to champion a text because it moves you and matters to you personally.
Marc Koralnik
It’s important to take on projects you genuinely care about – because you believe in the author, in the quality of the work, because it feels essential to you. Those are the projects that sustain you and keep you going. If you only follow market trends, you’ll end up frustrated when the wind shifts. I believe real satisfaction comes from conviction – to champion a text because it moves you and matters to you personally.
The Liepman agency also represents Catalin Dorian Florescu, a previous winner of the Anna Seghers Prize and the Swiss Book Prize. Catalin’s book Der Feuerturm (‘The Fire Tower’) is also an NBG selection. Click the cover to learn more!
Marc Koralnik is Owner and Agent at the Liepman agency.
