German Book Office Fiction Rights List – Spring 2009

Twice a year, the German Book Office New York (GBO) presents its Rights Lists of adult fiction titles to North American publishers, providing editors the opportunity to read about new German-language titles that are appropriate for the American market. In addition, the GBO’s Web site features identical titles with expanded contact information and links to German publisher’s websites.

Translation Funding for Titles on this List

Translation funding for all of the titles on this list is available through the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translation Grant. Additional funding for Austrian and Swiss titles is available. To find out more about funding opportunities through the German Book Office and other organizations for German-language titles, see the links below to download the rights list or contact the GBO directly.

GBO Fiction Rights List – Spring 09

NEAR THE WATER by Silvio Huonder

Set in a charming, lakeside village, this novel reveals that small town life is not picture perfect. Both political and personal tensions rise to the surface as one family struggles to understand each other and their neighbors.

Original German title: Dicht am Wasser
Published in 2009 by Nagel & Kimche Verlag
Read synopsis and rights information






PARADISO by Thomas Klupp

During what starts as a casual trip to Munich, film student and narrator Alex Böhm gradually reveals an emotional rollercoaster taking place inside of him. His feelings eventually overflow, leading to a dramatic and perilous climax.

Original German title: Paradiso
Published in 2009 by Berlin Verlag
Read synopsis and rights information






SHANGHAI, FAR FROM WHERE by Ursula Krechel

This historical novel details life into the Hongkew ghetto in Shanghai, a political and religious melting pot where German Jewish émigrés mingle with officials from the Third Reich, Communists, and a host of other characters, some based on real people.

Original German title: Shanghai, fern von wo
Published in 2008 by Jung und Jung Verlag
Read synopsis and rights information






THE NIGHT, THE LIGHTS by Clemens Meyer

Written by Clemens Meyer, a rising star in the German literary scene, this book tells the bizarre story of a man whose dog needs a hip replacement. Without a job or enough money for the procedure, the man ventures to the racetrack to score some extra cash.

Original German title: Die Nacht, die Lichter
Published in 2008 by S. Fischer Verlag
Read synopsis and rights information






THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER by Selim Özdogan

This story ends where most begin, with a woman’s emigration from Turkey to Germany to start her new life. What the reader gets is a deeper look at a traditional Turkish family and how migration and opportunity abroad are changing long-standing social structure.

Original German title: Die Tochter des Schmieds
Published in 2005 by Aufbau Verlag
Read synopsis and rights information

About the German Book Office New York

The German Book Office (GBO), a not-for-profit initiative of the Frankfurt Book Fair, serves as a bridge between the North American and German publishing scenes. Its primary role is to establish contact between members of these industries and to increase the awareness of new German titles and authors in both the North American book industry and among the reading public. The GBO organizes literary events, recommends German readers and translators to American publishers, and provides information on translation funding.

DOWNLOAD: A copy of the GBO’s Fiction Rights List, featuring bestselling German titles available for translation

VISIT: The GBO online

READ: More about the GBO’s rights lists and translation funding

EMAIL: The GBO for more information about their rights lists and translation funding