German Riveter

Drawing: an eagle holding two books in its wings entitled West and East. © Axel Scheffler

Interested in German literature, but don’t know where to start? In the “German Riveter”, the European Literature Network has put together some recommendations! All of the books mentioned in the magazine can be found in our library in London or in our digital library – free of charge!

Mexiko Street © Suhrkamp

Mexikoring [DE]

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz


Blaue Nacht © Suhrkamp

Blue Night

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz


Beton Rouge © Suhrkamp

Beton Rouge

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Simone Buchholz


Der geteilte Himmel © dtv

Divided Heaven

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR
  • Author: Christa Wolf


Das Muschelessen © Rotbuch

The Musselfeast

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Birgit Vanderbeke


Ich freue mich, dass ich geboren bin © Piper

You would have missed me

  • Genre: Fiction, GDR, History
  • Author: Birgit Vanderbeke


Someday we`ll tell each other everything © MacLehose Press

Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Daniela Krien


One clear ice-cold January morning at the beginning of the 21st        century © Fischer

One clear ice-cold January morning at the beginning of the 21st century

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature 
  • Author: Roland Schimmelpfennig


Er ist wieder da © Eichborn-Verlag

Er ist wieder da [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Timur Vermes


Die Hungrigen und die Satten © Bastei Lübbe

Die Hungrigen und die Satten [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature, Satire
  • Author: Timur Vermes


Heimat © Penguin Verlag

Heimat: a German family album

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Home, Holocaust, Memory
  • Author: Nora Krug


Heimsuchung © btb

Visitation

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, GDR, WWII, History
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck


Aller Tage Abend © Knaus Verlag, Random House

The end of Days

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck


Die Geschichte vom alten Kind © Eichborn-Verlag

The Old Child

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck


Gehen, Ging, Gegangen © Knaus Verlag, Random House

Go, Went, Gone

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Immigration, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Jenny Erpenbeck


Blueprint © Carl Hanser Verlag

Blueprint

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Theresia Enzensberger


Juja © Verbrecher Verlag

Juja [DE]

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili


Das achte Leben © Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt

The Eighth Life

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, History
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili


Die Katze und der General © Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt

Die Katze und der General [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Nino Haratischwili


Ein ganzes Leben © Carl Hanser Verlag

A whole life

  • Genre: Fiction, Home, Memory, History, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Robert Seethaler


Der kleine Wassermann © Thienemann

The little Water Sprite [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Otfried Preussler




Herr der DIebe © Dressler Verlag

The Thief Lord [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke


Drachenreiter © Dressler Verlag

Dragon Rider [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Cornelia Funke


Austerlitz © Random House

Austerlitz

  • Genre: Fiction, Holocaust, Memory
  • Author: Winfried Georg Sebald


Das Schloss © ekz bibliotheksservice

The Castle

  • Genre: Fiction
  • Author: Franz Kafka


Die Lebensansichten des Katers Murr © Random House

The life and opinions of the Tomcat Murr

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire
  • Author: Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann


Die Mittagsfrau © Fischer

The Blind Side of the Heart

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck


Rücken an Rücken © Fischer

Back to Back

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck


Lagerfeuer © DuMont

West

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Julia Franck


Apostoloff © Suhrkamp

Apostoloff

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Home
  • Author: Sibylle Lewitscharoff


Blumenberg © Suhrkamp

Blumenberg [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Philosophy, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Sibylle Lewitscharoff


Anne Richter © Osburg Verlag

Distant Signs

  • Genre: Fiction, GDR, History, Family, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Anne Richter


Am Ende bleiben die Zedern © Berlin Verlag

The storyteller

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, Memory, Home
  • Author: Pierre Jarawan


Kruso © Suhrkamp

Kruso

  • Genre: Fiction, History, GDR, Memory
  • Author: Lutz Seiler


Leere Herzen © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Empty Hearts [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Satire, Thriller
  • Author: Juli Zeh


Corpus Delicti © Schöffling & Co

The Method

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Juli Zeh


Die Vermessung der Welt © Rohwolt

Measuring the World

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature, History, Satire, Biography
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann


F © Rohwolt

F

  • Genre: Fiction, Satire
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann


Finale Berlin © Schöffling & Co

Berlin Finale [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, WWII, History
  • Author: Daniel Kehlmann


Allein in Berlin © aufbau

Alone in Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Hans Fallada


Kleiner Mann, was nun © aufbau

Little Man, What Now?

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Family, Weimar Republic
  • Author: Hans Fallada


Wolf unter Wölfen © aufbau

Wolf Among Wolves

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, History, Weimar Republic
  • Author: Hans Fallada


Der Alpdruck © aufbau

Nightmare in Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Hans Fallada


Es geschah in Berlin © Jaron

It happened in Berlin (Crime-Series) [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller, History 
  • Author: Horst Bosetzky


Emil und die Detektive © MFA FilmDistribution

Emil and the Detectives

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Erich Kästner


Der Trümmermörder © DuMont

Murderer in Ruins

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller, History, WWII
  • Author: Cay Rademacher


Tannöd © Hoffmann & Campe Verlag

Murder Farm

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Andrea Maria Schenkel


Crime © Piper

Verbrechen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ferdinand von Schirach


Der Fall Collini © btb Verlag

The Collini Case

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ferdinand von Schirach


Der Vorleser © Diogenes

The reader

  • Genre: Fiction, WWII, Contemporary Literature, Memory
  • Author: Bernhard Schlink



Sorry © Random House

Sorry

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Zoran Drvenkar


Kismet © Perseus Book Group

Kismet

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni


Bruder Kemal © Diogenes

Brother Kemal

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni


Happy Birthday © Perseus Book Group

Happy Birthday, Turk!

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Jacob Arjouni


Plan D © Schöffling & Co

Plan D

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Thriller, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Simon Urban


Die Stunde des Schakals © Kindler

The Hour of the Jackal

  • Genre: Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Bernhard Jaumann


Die Therapie © Knaur

Therapy

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Sebastian Fitzek


Babylon Berlin

Babylon Berlin

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Volker Kutscher


Der nasse Fisch © Carlsen

Der nasse Fisch [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Crime, Thriller
  • Author: Volker Kutscher


Die Apothekerin © Diogenes

The Pharmacist

  • Genre: Fiction, Crime
  • Author: Ingrid Noll


Wie hoch die Wasser steigen © Carl Hanser Verlag

Wie hoch die Wasser steigen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Home
  • Author: Anja Kampmann


Hoppe © Fischer

Hoppe [DE]

  • Genre: Biography
  • Author: Felicitas Hoppe


Jakob der Lügner © Suhrkamp

Jacob the liar

  • Genre: Fiction, Holocaust
  • Author: Jurek Becker


Vielleicht Esther © Suhrkamp

Maybe Esther

  • Genre: History, Family, Contemporary Literature, Fiction
  • Author: Katja Petrowskaja


Memoirs of a polar bear © Amazon

Memoirs of a polar bear

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Society, GDR
  • Author: Yoko Tawada


Ashes for breakfast © Amazon

Ashes for Breakfast

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Durs Grünbein


Zündkerzen © Suhrkamp

Zündkerzen [DE]

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Durs Grünbein


Selbstportät mit Bienenschwarm © Fischer

Self-portrait with a swarm of bees

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Jan Wagner


Der Gott hinter dem Fenster © Haymon Verlag

Der Gott hinter dem Fenster [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Thriller
  • Author: Michael Krüger


Gedichte © insel taschenbuch

Poems of the west and east: west-eastern divan; bi-lingual edition of the complete poems

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Vom kleinen Maulwurf... © Hammer

Vom kleinen Maulwurf, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf gemacht hat [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Young Readers 0-4
  • Author: Werner Holzwarth


Ente, Tod und Tulpe © Kunstmann

Ente, Tod und Tulpe [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Young Readers 0-4
  • Author: Wolf Erlbruch


Zippel, das wirklich wahre Schlossgespenst © dtv

Zippel, das wirklich wahre Schlossgespenst [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Alex Rühle


Der Zahlenteufel © Hanser

Der Zahlenteufel: Ein Kopfkissenbuch für alle, die Angst vor der Mathematik haben [DE, ES]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature, Mathematics 
  • Author: Hans Magnus Enzensberger


Käptn Blaubär © Knaus Verlag, Random House

DIe 13-einhalb Leben des Käpt`n Blaubär [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Walter Moers


Anton taucht ab © Beltz & Gelberg

Anton taucht ab [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Milena Baisch


Rotkäppchen muss weinen © Fischer

Rotkäppchen muss weinen [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Beate Teresa Hanika



Apfelkuchen und Baklava © Boje Verlag

Apfelkuchen und Baklava oder eine neue Heimat für Leila [DE]

  • Genre: Children & Youth Literature
  • Author: Beate Teresa Hanika


Was Dunkelheit war © Schöffling & Co

What darkness was

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Memory
  • Author: Inka Parei


Aus Mangel an Beweisen © Wunderhorn

Aus Mangel an Beweisen: deutsche Lyrik 2008-2018 [DE]

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Michael Braun, Hans Thill


Glückskind © Secession Verlag

Glückskind [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Philosophy, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Steven Uhly


Kingdom of Twilight © Amazon

Kingdom of Twilight

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII
  • Author: Steven Uhly


Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt © Carl Hanser Verlag

All Russians Love Birch Trees

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Immigration
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa


Die juristischen Unschärfen einer Ehe © Carl Hanser Verlag

Die juristischen Unschärfen einer Ehe [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, LGBT, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa


Gott ist nicht schüchtern © Aufbau digital

City of Jasmine

  • Genre: Fiction, Home, Fate, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Olga Grjasnowa


Das Ende der Einsamkeit © Diogenes

The End of Loneliness

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, Memory
  • Author: Benedict Wells


Wie der Soldat das Grammophon reparierte © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

How the soldier repairs the gramophone

  • Genre: Fiction, History, Home, Memory
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić


Vor dem Fest © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Before the feast

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Society
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić


Herkunft © Luchterhand Literaturverlag

Herkunft [DE]

  • Genre: Contemporary Literature, Memory, Home, Biography
  • Author:  Saša Stanišić


Winterbienen © C.H.Beck

Winterbienen [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, History, WWII, Contemporary Literature
  • Author:  Norbert Scheuer


Brüder © Carl Hanser Verlag

Brüder [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Literature, Society
  • Author:  Jackie Thomae


Haltet Euer Herz bereit © Heyne

Red love: the story of an East German Family

  • Genre: Fiction, Memory, Family, GDR, Contemporary Literature
  • Author:  Maxim Leo


Wo wir zu Hause sind © Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Wo wir zu Hause sind [DE]

  • Genre: History, Home, Family, Holocaust, Memory 
  • Author:  Maxim Leo


Miroloi © Carl Hanser Verlag

Miroloi [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Society, Contemporary Literature
  • Author: Karen Köhler


Sechs Koffer © Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Sechs Koffer [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, Family, History
  • Author:  Maxim Biller


Verwirrnis © Suhrkamp

Verwirrnis [DE]

  • Genre: Fiction, LGBT, Society
  • Author: Christoph Hein 


Selected Poems © Amazon

Selected Poems

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Evelyn Schlag


Thick of it © Google Books

Thick of It

  • Genre: Poetry
  • Author: Ulrike Almut Sandig


Anne Lister © Matthes & Seitz Berlin Verlag

Anne Lister: Eine erotische Biografie [DE]

  • Genre: Biography, History
  • Author: Angela Steidele


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