Berlin Babel: Stories of the city by Berliners old and new

by Katy Derbyshire (Editor), Carla Berges (Contributor), David Wagner (Contributor)

What brings people to today’s Berlin, what makes them stay?

For some, the city is a place of refuge, from war and persecution, bigotry or boredom. For others, it’s the history or the nightlife or the broad green spaces that attract them – or haunt them. And a few are just born here. How do they cope with the pressure, with housing shortages, racism, club queues, bicycle thefts, shitty jobs, with home catching up on them?

Berlin Babel presents fourteen short stories by writers originating from Syria, Turkey, China, the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Germany, Italy and India. From Arabic to Italian to Yiddish, the stories are beautifully translated from eight different languages.

The selection captures life in Berlin with all its despairs and joys. This first ever international anthology of contemporary writing on the city unites a wide range of perspectives. For all those who love the city, and for anyone curious to discover it.

176 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2026

Reviews

[Katsiaryna Paliakova]

Short stories collection about Berlin. I really like the idea of having multiple points of view from different people with various backgrounds.

[Lena]

I am biased in my review since my dear friend contributed a short story for this book but it truly captures so many aspects of life in Berlin.

[Emma Jowett]

reflections on germany; a universal experience