- Highlights of the second half of the year
A Tribute to Thomas Mann and Celebrities Reflecting on Their Lives: The Literary Autumn Brings Some Big Names. While Entertainment Veterans Thomas Gottschalk and Hape Kerkeling Publish Personal Memoirs, Actress Caroline Peters Makes Her Novel Debut. An Overview:
Hape Kerkeling: "Give Me Some Time"
With his profound yet humorous travelogue "I'm Off Then" in 2006, Hape Kerkeling scored a bestseller. Since then, the entertainer has published several successful books, such as "The Boy Needs Some Fresh Air – My Childhood and I". In "Give Me Some Time", the 59-year-old now delves into the history of his ancestors. According to the publisher: "Touched and with an incomparable sense of humor, he tells of his childhood in the 1970s and the heyday of TV entertainment, of love, destiny, and the golden age of the Netherlands."
Thomas Gottschalk: "Unfiltered"
And another popular entertainer returns in book form: Thomas Gottschalk publishes the non-fiction book "Unfiltered". According to the announcement, it's about cancel culture. The 74-year-old reflects on what has changed in public speaking. Whoever casually cracks a joke today risks a shitstorm, the publisher writes about the content of the book. "With a good portion of self-irony, Thomas Gottschalk gets to the bottom of the rules and pitfalls of our society: What has changed and why? Do we really have to observe all language rules before we say something?"
Mithu Sanyal: "Antichristie"
With her novel "Identitti", author and cultural scientist Mithu Sanyal caused a stir. The story of a supposedly non-white person exposed as an imposter touched on societal debates of the time – in an amusing way. Now, the successor "Antichristie" is coming out. It's about a screenwriter who is suddenly transported to the year 1906 while working on the film adaptation of an Agatha Christie crime novel. According to Hanser Verlag: "Where Mithu Sanyal's acclaimed debut 'Identitti' dealt with identity politics, 'Antichristie' asks about colonialism and the violence within us all."
Caroline Peters: "Another Life"
Viewers know actress Caroline Peters from the ARD crime series "Mord mit Aussicht". She plays at the Vienna Burgtheater and is also known for films like "The Name". Now, the 52-year-old makes her debut as a novelist. In "Another Life", a daughter reflects on her deceased mother Hanna, who led an unconventional life "between bourgeoisie and bohemia", as the Rowohlt Verlag writes about the content. One day, Hanna decided to leave her family and start her life anew alone.
Anika Decker: "Two Sensible Adults Who Have Seen Each Other Naked"
Anika Decker had her breakthrough with the screenplay for "Keinohrhasen", later she also worked successfully as a director, for example with the comedy "Traumfrauen". She has also appeared as a novelist before. According to the publisher's announcement, "Two Sensible Adults Who Have Seen Each Other Naked" promises, like her previous works, a humorous look at interpersonal love affairs.
Cordula Stratmann: "Where Was I Again?"
Comedy Fans know Cordula Stratmann from the Sat.1 show "Schillerstraße". The 60-year-old has won many awards for her performances, including the Golden Camera. Stratmann also appears in TV and cinema films and has released several books. Her first literary work in years, "Wo war ich stehen geblieben?", is now being published by dtv Verlag, described as "musings and flashes of insight" that reflect on everyday, political, and personal topics, from ants to parental love, and diversity to wokeness.
Joachim Meyerhoff: "One Can Also Fall Upwards"
The autofictional novels of Joachim Meyerhoff, known for their laconic wit, have all become bestsellers. In "One Can Also Fall Upwards" - the sixth book in the series where the theater actor and author tells his life story - Meyerhoff focuses on his mother. Publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch writes: "In his mid-fifties, the narrator moves to the countryside with his eighty-year-old mother to write a novel about theater titled 'Shame and Stage'. It becomes an unforgettable, eventful time as he finds help from his mother to overcome a deep personal crisis."
Heinz Strunk: "Magic Mountain 2"
This fall, Heinz Strunk dares to take a charming liberty. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain", he has written a new version titled "Magic Mountain 2". The protagonist, Jonas Heidbrink, is a clear reference to Mann's main character, Hans Castorp. This time, the sanatorium is located in the Mecklenburg countryside. The book is set to be published by Rowohlt at the end of November.
Clemens Meyer: "The Projectors"
Award-winning author Clemens Meyer is releasing his first novel in over a decade. Since his Leipzig-based novel "Als wir träumten", Meyer has mainly published short stories. His new work, "The Projectors", is an "epic about the crises of Europe and the art of storytelling", according to publisher S. Fischer. The plot ranges from Winnetou films to the Yugoslav wars to right-wing radicals.
Ulrike Draesner: "To Love"
Award-winning author Ulrike Draesner, known for her prose, poetry, and essays, has been praised by the British magazine "The Times Literary Supplement" as "one of the best German writers of the present". Her new work, "To Love", explores the story of a woman who adopts a child, delving into questions of parenthood and unconventional family structures.
The prominent entertainer Hape Kerkeling delves into the history of his ancestors in his new book "Give Me Some Time."
Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain" inspires Heinz Strunk's charming liberty, resulting in "Magic Mountain 2."
