‘Open-minded and diverse, progressive and courageously future-oriented, gifted with a sense of humour and the ability to be self-critical.’
This is how Austria presented itself at the Leipzig Book Fair 2023, where the country was Guest of Honour. New Books in German promotes German-language literature for translation into English. This means that we feature recommendations of the best new titles from Austria – as well as from Germany and Switzerland. Books which we recommend benefit from guaranteed financial support for their translation into English, if the rights are bought by an English-language publisher. If you are an English-language publisher buying the rights to a book recommended by our jury, you are guaranteed financial support for its translation into English. The process is very straightforward and you can find out more here.
All recent Austrian titles with guaranteed translation funding
Interviews with, and articles about, Austrian authors and those who translate or work with them
With Austria being celebrated as the guest of honour at the 2023 Leipzig Book Fair, and a slew of recent prize nominations confirming the repute of the country’s writers, what better time could there be to take a closer look at some of the boldest, most exciting voices in contemporary German literature?
Eleanor Updegraff
The Austrian Riveter
Austria’s literary engagement with its history is moving, revelatory and, you could argue, long overdue. It is also a multi-cultural, multi-lingual country and that comes through in its literature.
Rosie Goldsmith, European Literature Network
Who are Austria’s most riveting writers to read, and what are they writing about?
In 2023, The European Literature Network, working together with the Austrian Cultural Forum London, produced THE AUSTRIAN RIVETER. The Riveter is the first magazine of contemporary Austrian literature and writing about Austria in English.
The beautiful Austrian Riveter Magazine cover is by Lo Cole.
Read The Austrian Riveter here or order your paper copy from here.
Buy books from The Austrian Riveter through the European Literature Network’s The Austrian Riveter bookshop.org page.
Photo: Rosie Goldsmith launches the Austrian Riveter at the British Library in April 2023, with authors Kaśka Bryla, Daniel Kehlmann and Doron Rabinovici. Photo @ Austrian Cultural Forum
The Austrian Riveter Bibliography of Austrian Literature in English, compiled by Lara Bulloch and edited by Sheridan Marshall for the European Literature Network is here. You can explore a list of Austrian books which have already been translated into English. The listing is by author.
Leipzig Book Fair 2023
Under the slogan of “meaoiswiamia”, Austrian dialect for “more than we alone”, Austria used the guest of honour status at the Leipzig Book Fair to illustrate its diverse literary scene for an international audience by presenting well-known authors, new literary voices and high-profile publishers.
Vienna photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash
