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Madness lurks behind the pretty façade of everyday life. An elderly lady offers a young woman a piece of cake. She accepts. The lady resembles the Austrian Empress Elisabeth and lives with her servant in an apartment full of bizarre souvenirs. More invitations follow. A seemingly harmless visit to the museum turns into a meticulously planned raid to steal a royal cocaine syringe. Without realizing, the young woman has become the lady's accomplice. Does she realize she is losing control? Why Peirene chose to publish this book: 'On the surface this is a clever thriller-cum-horror story of three women and their descent into addiction, crime and madness. And at times it's very funny. But don't be fooled. The book also offers an exploration of the way the mind creates its own realities and – quite often – deludes us into believing that we control what is actually controlling us. Uncanny, indeed.' Meike Ziervogel 'Linda Stift breaks the world down into frightening fragments. Impressive.' taz 'Such a wicked psychothriller can only come from Vienna.' KulturSPIEGEL 'The reader finds themselves in the situation of Kafka's Josef K: drifting towards the inevitable.' Literaturkritik.de
Up until now, ‘migration literature’ has primarily been defined as ‘texts written by migrant authors’, a definition that has been discussed, criticised, and even rejected by critics and authors alike. Very rarely has ‘migration literature’ been understood as ‘literature on the topic of migration’, which is an approach this book adopts by presenting a comparative analysis of contemporary texts on experiences of migration. By focusing on specific themes and motifs in selected texts, this study suggests that migration literature is a sub-genre that exists in both various bodies of literature as well as various languages. This book analyses English and German texts by authors such as Monica Ali, Dimitré Dinev, Anna Kim, Timothy Mo, Preethi Nair, Caryl Phillips, Hamid Sadr, and Vladimir Vertlib, among others.
In recent decades, globalization has led to increased mobility and interconnectedness. For a growing number of people, contemporary life entails new local and transnational interdependencies which transform individual and collective allegiances. Contemporary literature often reflects these changes through its exploration of migrant experiences and transcultural identities. Calling into question traditional definitions of culture, many recent works of poetry and prose fiction go beyond the spatial boundaries of a given state, emphasizing instead the mixing and collision of languages, cultures, and identities. In doing so, they also challenge recent and contemporary discourses about cultural i...
An impressively entertaining tale about the frailty of human civilisation by the leading Flemish writer Peter Verhelst, now for the first time in English. Warning: This story is narrated by a gorilla. He is plucked from the jungle. He learns to chat and passes the ultimate test: a cocktail party. Eventually he is moved to an amusement park, where he acts in a play about the history of civilisation. But as the gorilla becomes increasingly aware of human frailties, he must choose between his instincts and his training, between principles and self-preservation. Why Peirene chose to publish this book: This is Peirene's first book narrated by an ape. Animal fables are usually not my thing. It needed Belgian deadpan humour to convince me otherwise. Mixing Huxley's Brave New Worldwith Orwell's Animal Farm, the fast-paced plot leaves behind images that play in your mind long after you have closed the book. Meike Ziervogel Simple, but wonderful and impassioned. De Standaard .A heart-warming novella in bleak times. Humo
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Literary Prizes and Cultural Transfer addresses the multilevel nature of literary and translation prizes, with the aim of expanding our knowledge about them as an international and transnational phenomenon. The contributions to this book analyse the social, institutional, and ideological functions of such prizes. This volume not only looks at famous prizes and celebrities but also lesser known prizes in more peripheral language areas and regions, with a special focus on cultural transmitters and their networks, which play a decisive role in the award industry. Cultural transfer and translations are at the heart of this book and this approach adds a new dimension to the study of literary and ...
Another sparkling kaleidoscope of thought provoking, ground breaking work from Europe's most highly acclaimed multimedia design studio, Nofrontiere. More an experience than a book, In the Place of Coincidence continues the journey begun in the first volume but soars to even greater heights of unconstrained creativity. Clearly, Nofrontiere Design Studio is a place where the unpredictable is a constant in the daily work process and where the flow of interaction feeds inventiveness. With a unique blend of thought provoking vision and insight, limits of quality and diversity are constantly redefined. Works presented include such ground breaking projects as the complete multimedia dramatization of the Jewish Museum in Vienna, the multimedia visualization of the life and works of Sigmund Freud, and a number of innovative marketing applications created for BMW, Deutsche Bank, Umdasch and Unisys.
A psychological thriller by the pioneering German writer Ricarda Huch. A novel of letters from the last century – but one with an astonishingly modern feel. Now for the first time in English.. Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. To counter student unrest, the governor of St Petersburg closes the state university. Soon afterwards he arrives at his summer residence with his family and receives a death threat. His worried wife employs a young bodyguard, Lju, to protect her husband. Little does she know that Lju sides with the students – and the students are plotting an assassination. Why Peirene chose to publish this book: 'I came upon this novel in the original German a year ago. ...
War takes no prisoners. It involves everyone - even children. Twin brothers, Ahmed and Aziz, live in the peaceful shade of their family's orange grove. But when a bomb kills the boys' grandparents, they become pawns in their country's civil war. Blood demands more blood and, at the command of a local militant group, either Ahmed or Aziz must strap on a belt of explosives and make the ultimate sacrifice. Will the surviving twin ever manage to release himself from the past? Why Peirene chose to publish this book: 'This story made me cry. Since the dawn of civilisation we have justified war by claiming that we are creating a better future for our children. And yet don't we run the risk of laying a curse on future generations? This story reminds us of our obligation to forgive - ourselves as well as others.' Meike Ziervogel, publisher at Peirene Press 'Nuanced but contrasting. Rough but also sensual. Shot through with poweful dialogue but never rambling. This kind of writing takes guts.' Le Devoir 'A little jewel, finely chiseled.' Elle 'Larry Tremblay's ability [is] not so much to weave a storyline as to unravel it with finesse and beauty.' Toronto Sun
A tragicomic satire from the heart of East Germany. Gabriela grows up in the East German town of Leibnitz. Her father is a famous surgeon, her mother a respected society hostess. The girl, however, struggles to fulfil their expectations. She shows no talent as a violinist and, worse, she fails to choose the right friends at school. When her father falls out of favour with the communists, Gabriela drops out of school. Eventually she ends up living beneath a canal bridge. Then the Wall falls. Can Gabriela seize a second chance in the new, united, Germany? Why Peirene chose to publish this book: 'When I pass homeless women, I look into their faces and wonder: why her and not me? I sense that ma...