Contemporary German Writers discussion

You can start by telling us a little bit about yourself. For instance: Who are you? What's your background? Why are you interested in German literature? Just anything you would like us to know about you!

Please feel free to also start new topics :)

Hi--I'm Marieke. I was born in Germany to American parents and i grew up in the U.S. I have a cousin with one American parent and one German parent and she grew up in Germany. I spent a year in Germany between high school and college, majored in German in college, and spent one summer during college...i like to read German books as one way of keeping my German up. I haven't read much german-language literature beyond what was taught in school, though, so i'd like to be exposed to newer, more contemporary things. i'm also especially interested in Turkish-German and Arab-German writing.

My name is Gundula. I live in Canada, but I was born in Germany and lived in Germany until I was ten years old. I have a PhD in German literature, but I generally just teach German language courses for college students. I am bilingual in German and English, although my German reading and writing is currently a bit better than my oral German (because I don't use German that much, and because I am generally better at reading and writing any language). I am interested in reading some of the more current German literature (and maybe not just that which is considered part of the "canon"), because when I did my PhD in Canada, our recent German literature seemed to have stopped at around 1980. I also enjoy reading German literature for children and young adults, some of the recent books are really quite good and tackle some difficult themes. One problem for me personally might be getting copies of the more recent literature. I have quite a number of classics, like Goethe, Schiller, Thomas Mann etc., but not a lot of the more recent ones (and ordering from Amazon is not only expensive, but also quite tempting for a book fanatic).

I read translations of literature by Thomas Mann, Herta Müller, Gunther Grass, Herman Hesse... as my first language is English, my second French and Italian, and my third German. At university I concentrated on studies in history, philosophy, and linguistics and at present am studying literature.

I am originally English but have lived in Switzerland for the past 44 years and am now more or less bi(tri)langual if you include Schweizerdeutsch. I can read German and english with no problem, so I like to read German authors in German and english in english. I read a lot of German books, modern as well as classics. My Swiss husband has a great collection of German classics. I have caught up on thomas Mann, Kafka etc. over the years as well as reading more modern books, also some Swiss writers Dürrenmatt, Hansjürg Schneider etc.

Pat wrote: "I am originally English but have lived in Switzerland for the past 44 years and am now more or less bi(tri)langual if you include Schweizerdeutsch. I can read German and english with no problem, so..."

I'd be interested in getting some Swiss German (and maybe even Swiss French) recommendations from you. I've read quite a bit of Dürrenmatt and Frisch and some of the older authors like Gottfried Keller and Konrad Ferdinand Meyer. But more recent Swiss German authors, I don't know much about those, unfortunately.

I also like to read German authors in German and English authors in English, although I sometimes read translations in order to compare or if I cannot find the German original (often the case in Canada, I have quite a lot of Thomas Mann in German, but I really want to read his series on Joseph and our library only has it in English, of course).

I'd be interested in getting some Swiss German (and maybe even Swiss French) recommendations from you."
The first modern Swiss writer that comes to my mind is Martin Suter. He is a real shooting star and writes welll. Up to now I have read two of his novels. One I would recommend is Small World. The story of a man that has Alzheimer at the age of 60 and what happens. The story develops in an unexpected way.

I am Laura. About 45 years ago, I spent a year in Germany as a foreign student. I have tried to keep up with my German since then, but it is difficult, as I don't have anyone to talk to locally. I like to read children's books, as I am also an elementary school teacher (right now unemployed). I especially like audiobooks, since keeping up my listening comprehension is important to me.

I'm Ellie. I don't know if I belong here or not but I wanted to try it. I've bought a grammar & I'm starting to study German, for reading purposes. I already like to get dual language book & read the English & then try the German, line by line.

Hi Ellie and Kinkajou, glad you've found this group :-) Let's see if we can get some good reading selections (and maybe not all literary classics, ha).

Kinkajou wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Hi Ellie and Kinkajou, glad you've found this group :-) Let's see if we can get some good reading selections (and maybe not all literary classics, ha)."

Thanks, Gundula. I have a..."

That would be cool, I've not read HP in German, but I have read it in French (the first one that is). Get this, there are also supposedly some Harry Potters available in Plattdeutsch (low German); now that I do want to read, it would almost be like reading a foreign language.

I have all of the Harry Potter books in German, both the print versions and the audiobooks. [I am currently trying to read the first book in Spanish.] I enjoy Rufus Beck's version of the books.

Hello :)
My name is Marcel Weyers, I love fantasy books and I have written three books in German so far. I am currently translating my "Shadow" books into English. If you are interested in a new fantasy series you can have a look at my publisher's website. There are also some quizes where you can win one of my books: http://bit.ly/jbzu7g

So have fun and good luck.

Greetings
Marcel

Hi Marcel & welcome!

Hi, I am Morgiana form Hungary, I studied Germanistik and spent a half year in Germany with a scholarship.
I am fluently in German (and in english and hungarian;), and like to read also.
(That's why I joined goodreads, LOL!:)
My favourite german authors are Rebecca Gablé (I really like history), Hermann Hesse and Günter Grass, but I'd like to know more about the contenporary german authors (especially in fields of history and fantasy).

Morgiana wrote: "Hi, I am Morgiana form Hungary, I studied Germanistik and spent a half year in Germany with a scholarship.
I am fluently in German (and in english and hungarian;), and like to read also.
(That's..."

Hi Morgiana, I would also like to know more about contemporary German authors.

Hi I'm Anna from Germany and I am studying Spanish and English. I recently noticed that I dont know as much about German literature as I should as a native speaker, which is a shame, I think. Due to my studies, most of what I read these days is in English and Spanish and I have the feeling that I'm missing out on the rich German literary culture somehow. This is why I created this group and I am curious to see where it is headed :)

So: welcome everybody!!

I am an America and half German on my Mother's side. My Dad's father have been in America so long that they have forgotten where they came from - except there is little Cherokee. As a result I have always had an intrest in Germany and have been there a few times.

Recently I have been on a French kick reading through Dumas and some Hugo. I would though like to branch out and try some German writers.

Unfortunately I am horrible with laguages so I will have to reley on English translations. I did come read The Stanic Mill when I found it on the shelf. I also have read Cornelia Funke. I enjoyed her stand alone books like The Thief Lord but, lost intrest in The Inkheart series. I am intrested in also finding out about some of the cannon writers as well as modern.

I just joined the group because german is my mothertongue and I thought it would be good to be in a fitting group. ;)
As a fast reader I set the goal for me for this year to 100 books, and I'm discovering more and more of the website with every visit. I really like having authors here and the option of following their news!

Hi, I'm from Turkey. I am trying to learning german on the other hand I have a big sympathy for german literature. especially Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann, E.M.Remarque, Anna Seghers, H.Böll are my favorite writers.

Hi, my name is Friederike, I have been hanging out in the Africa groups and the Canadian ones. I am German, but have lived elsewhere since 1975, first in London and since 1989 in Canada. While my MA was in Eastern European Studies and French, in Berlin, I have primarily worked in nonprofits concerned with international development, environmental and human rights issues. It is only since I left full-time work have rekindled my interest in German language literature. I circulate between reading English, French and German reading. Some books, however intriguing, are often left behind.

hi i am lieschen, reading both, english and german, being mother of two little ones, i don't have too much time to participate but am more than thankful for recommendations. right now, easy reading preferred ;=)

Hey guys!
I'm a German major in my uni and I desperately need practice. Prefer something contemporary but it depends. ^__^

Friederike, Lieschen, Anna - welcome to the group!
:)

Hi, I'm Estonian but studied German language and literature in BA. I've been studying and travelling in Germany a lot and I try to read as many German books as possible to keep my German skills alive. As I had to read mostly the old classics during my studies, I now prefer to read only contemporary authors.

Hi Eda,
welcome to the group hope you'll find some good books to read!
:)

Hi all, for those who want to keep up to date on German language fiction, I wonder whether you know the site New Books in German. Very useful and interesting. Here is the link. http://www.new-books-in-german.com/en...

Their updates are also on FaceBook.

Friederike wrote: "Hi all, for those who want to keep up to date on German language fiction, I wonder whether you know the site New Books in German. Very useful and interesting. Here is the link. http://www.new-books..."

Danke, toll!!

Hi I am David Gray which is actually a nom de guerre, I am a German journalist an author, to be an avid reader just comes with then territory I guess. I am in my early forties have spend some time in South East Asia and Ireland. I am amazed how much interest on German culture and German literature exists in UK and US, in Germany you don’t actually realize it that much. So let’s see what you’re here up to … Cheers David

I studied German and Russian at University; besides the language mainly literature, writing my dissertation on Christa Wolf at the end of it, in German. They gave me a distinction for it even.

I spent 6 months in Leipzig as part of my placement abroad in the 3rd year (the other half in St.Petersburg) and had a very nice time.

Since then I've been in Russia most of the time and hardly speak any German, but still read, erratically, and sometimes watch movies, read magazines, watch German news online, etc. When I try to speak German I get confused, and Russian words keep popping up, but with time it starts to become more natural. Reading is generally less of a struggle, though it depends on the text. At University my German was significantly better than my Russian, but the situation has now long been the reverse.

I was in Leipzig almost 20 years ago and have only been back to Germany once since, to Berlin for about 10 days, just over 9 years ago. I managed to converse, but stuggled a bit, and, well, it was almost a decade ago.

So, I want to encourage myself to read German more regularly, and 'consume' some good books at the same time. And especially learn about quality contemporary German writing that has been passing me by.

Hi all
I am born and raised up a small town in Germany. After school i started my architecture studies but went university to work in public administration. I love that new job, although I hope to get my bachelors some day to connect both topics.
In the evening I prefere reading, so I still don't have a TV on my own.
At school i learned english, french and latin, later a little dutch.
Hope we will have a nice time here,
Mel

Hi !
Although I read that this group is for all people interested in German I am not quite sure if I should post here. Goodreads groups are rather strict about authors on their sites more or less promoting their own books.

Anyway, I'll introduce myself: my name is Constance Hampton Jones and I have lived in the proximity of Geneva(CH.)for more than 14 years. I have e-published a historical fiction series (regency Romantic Warriors) - Napoleontic war period, (now 7 novels) and only a few weeks ago my wonderful translator Andreas von Pronay finished the translation of the whole series in German.

I speak enough German myself to see that he actually made something wonderful of my books: he has that specific way of being slightly ironic, which I find so charming while dealing with the intricacies of the books. (Novel 2 and 3 also tackle same-sex love for instance).

To do something extra for the books I illustrated them with 'Collagen.'

I must confess I read a report on the German book market that stated that only 1 pct. out of all German books is read as e-books. Not very promising...
Anyway, maybe you'd like to take a look at them: at Amazon-kindle they are available as a sample (look inside.)

I'm open to suggestions if you know ways to promote them. Nobody writes with the wish never to be read... As far as my searches go Germany does not have a sort of Goodreads site.

'Thanks for noticing me!' (Ior in Winnie-the Pooh)

CHJ Ein ganz besonderer LeutnantDer Major in Schwierigkeiten, Teil 1: BetrügereienDer Major in Schwierigkeiten, Teil 2: Der TodesstossEin geldgieriger Major, Teil 1: Die BrautEin geldgieriger Major, Teil 2: Das EheglückDer Fehler des MajorsOffiziere und Gentlemen

Hi, my name is Steve and born to English/German parents I grew up in Germany. After stints in the UK, Australia and back to the UK, I have managed to return to Germany, this time with my own family. After six years of living here I'm getting back into reading German books. I'm always looking for a good book to read and I'm happy I found this group to share recommendations and reviews.

My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German (Thomas Mann to Christa Wolf, also autobiography like actor Michael Degen's) and realize again why I majored in German literature. I look forward to hearing recommendations from others in the group. Since I read in the original German but discuss text in English, I find the intersection of languages is a thought-provoking space.

Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German (Thomas Mann to Christa Wolf, also autobiography like actor ..."

That's generally how I read and discuss German literature as well, Elena. Unfortunately, my knowledge of really contemporary German lit is a bit rusty, but a GR friend has kindly sent me the following four contemporary novels

Die Mittagsfrau
Regenroman
Grenzgang
Der Mond Und Das Mädchen

And I also have on my to-read list

Im Krebsgang
Leben und Abenteuer der Trobadora Beatriz nach Zeugnissen ihrer Spielfrau Laura. Roman in dreizehn Büchern und sieben Intermezzos.

If you have any of the books and would like to perhaps do a buddy-read in the group, I would definitely be interested (it would get me reading and discussing)

Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German (Thomas Mann to Christa Wolf, also autobiograp..."Which title do you recommend starting with? They are all new to me. I'm sure I can either find the one you select at the Stanford Library (pretty comprehensive) or order it from Amazon.de, I'm also getting German books on the Kindle, that's how I got Buddenbrooks...

Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German (Thomas Mann to Christa Wolf, ..."

I have not had a chance to read any of them, but I think Die Mittagsfrau is supposed to be quite good.

Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German (Thomas Mann to ..."

Stanford has two copies of Die Mittagsfrau, I'll check it out tomorrow...

Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to reading German ..."

I should start reading it as well (after Buddenbrooks)

Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Elena wrote: "My name is Elena, I'm a retired librarian/archivist who majored in German many years ago. With more time now, I'm back to r..."

perfect!

I recommend Mittagsfrau to everybody interested in German literature and/or history. And definitely to all women. I have to admit that I tend to forget unimportant plots rather fast but this story stays with you for months, even years.

Eda wrote: "I recommend Mittagsfrau to everybody interested in German literature and/or history. And definitely to all women. I have to admit that I tend to forget unimportant plots rather fast but this story..."

My next book for sure!

Hi,
I'm Carol and I'm a 17 year old high school student from Florida. I confess I know nothing about contemporary German literature, though I do read Goethe and Schiller and Heine before I go to sleep every night. I started learning German on my own when I was 12 and five years later I've finally reached conversational fluency. We all know that the language in conversation is nothing like the language in books, however, and I feel that exposure to literature will help me fine-tune my German.
Besides reading, I enjoy history, science, writing, and listening to classical music/opera.

Freut mich sehr, ihr kennenzulernen! Grüße aus Amerika!

Carol wrote: "... contemporary German literature..."
For an insightful and worthwhile presentation of German authors and themes from 1945 to 1985, please consider the book "After the Fires" by Peter Demetz. This is a quality work by a knowledgeable author and will provide enough material to help you establish a focus for your interests.
Summary:
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&...
And here are available copies
http://www.biblio.com/peter-demetz/af...

Hallo! I'm a Latvian but for the last three years – ever since I'm able to read in German – I read books mostly in German. This language fascinates me.

Hi all,
I'm Monica. I have been living in Munich for four months now and I'm looking forward to learning German to be able to read the classics. I'm currently level A1/2. Having taken Hispanic and Latin American literature, the influence of German literature was present in many of our readings and lectures. I'm loving this language!

"learning German to be able to read the classics."

There is a nifty book on contemporary German literature that may be of interest to you. As time permits, please review "Emerging German-Language Novelists of the Twenty-First Century"
http://www.camden-house.com/store/vie...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hello everyone! My name is Sigrid and I live in Germany, but do read lots of english books because of my job. I specialize in Young Adult books and I have to admit that I'm not really up-to-date with German authors in this genre, so if anyone has any great recommendations, please let me know! :)

Hi, I am German but have moved to the UK for an Au-pair year in 1986 and am still here. Reading German books is a way of keeping in touch with Germany. I admit I have a passion for Bayern-krimis and such like as it gets me straight back to my German home and often makes me remind foibles fondly. I also have a passion for Scandinavian crime novels and I don't know why but I prefer to read those in German. Most books I read these days however seem to be in English, so new ideas and writers are very welcome.

Hi all! I'm Lucy, geborene Amerikanerin living in Germany. There are still serious gaps in my knowledge of German classics; I've been catching up on the 20th century recently with Fallada and Böll. I'm trying to get to know contemporary authors as well, especially as their works are often harder to find in the US. Recent reads I've enjoyed are Elfriede Jelinek's "rein GOLD" and Bernhard Schlink's "Der Vorleser." I have a great weakness for Krimis, as well, so recommendations for light reading are also welcomed.