In Bavaria, was abolished in the endowed with € 7,500 “prize for a Bavarian small publisher”. Now the publishers go to the barricades.
Good books and good literature: a weapon “against rudeness and stupidity” photo: Juliana Krohn
“Bayern want to be anywhere the number one, but has a definition of culture from the’ 50s,” scolds the publisher Manfred Rothenberger, based in the Franconian town of Fürth. Even now, he had a “swollen with anger vein”, he said in an interview with the taz, because he’s las, how much money have received the well-known Comedy Duo Volker hot man and Martin Rassau in cultural funding: 50,000 euros, so Rothenberger, for the new production of the operetta “The merry widow”! The Comediens were “masters of the entertainment industry”, but tend not to need of funding.
so much money can dream Rothenberger and the other small publishers only. You have just been deleted by the Bavarian science and Art Department of the “prize for a Bavarian small publisher”, it’s been ten years, and was endowed with a meagre 7,500 euros. It was, says Rothenberger, as would gold plating the players from FC Bayern Munich “, and with the support of the soccer shoes”, while small clubs “every two years, received a new Eckfähnchen”.
So, Rothenberger has written an open letter to arts Minister Bernd Sibler (CSU), signed by him and seven other publishers, all of which have already received the prize. He refers to the precarious to disastrous situation of the small publishers, summons the “Biblio-diversity” and know that good books and good literature to be a weapon “against rudeness and stupidity”.
it was not in Bavaria so: small publishers strive for the revolt. For example, while the Federal capital city annually awards the “Berliner Verlag price” with over 65,000 Euro, and now for the first time by the Federal government of the “German publisher award” at the 66 Books with a total of 1.17 million euros, consists of Bavaria its already measly price.
What are the so-called small publishers, and why do it? “Sophisticated literature”, says Kristina Pöschl, together with Eva bauernfeind in Viechtach in the Bavarian forest, the “lichtung Verlag”. Since 2014, the two Directors are also the only employees. Route the Present authors mostly from lower Bavaria and the upper Palatinate, to drive without the home tümelnden Rail.
they also make photo books, and poetry, which often has a print run of only 300, or 400 piece. Success book of the clearing-publishing is asleep, the report of a concentration camp Survivor Otto Schwerdt Kaçak Bahis Siteleri “As God and the world,” has been printed to 45,000 times.
“Without funding we can’t keep,” says Kristina Pöschl. The two Publishers do not have to live anyway by the publisher with a year four to five new releases. Pöschl is teaching English in adult education and writes press releases. Manfred Rothenberger from Fürth turn, says he has to follow with the programme of the publishing house “Starfruit Publications”, “all brutal my preferences”.
He wants to connect “contemporary art and literature”. From paper selection, to the writing to the Cover he makes, with the support of a friendly designer to do everything herself – “at night and on the weekend, my dining table, the publisher is”. He has a football book about the 1. FC Nürnberg made. “It went really well, so far the only.” Money Rothenberger earned with his appointment as Director of the “Institute for modern art” in Nuremberg.
You notice quickly: There are books possessed. They brace themselves against the Mainstream of the Great, make virtually no gains. The-year sales changes at 50,000, sometimes 100,000 euros. Silke Less, the Wenigerf the “Silke” in Gräfelfing, near Munich, operates, tells how she takes care of the Norwegian author Mona Høvring.
This is not in your home to well known and successful in Germany. The less you translate, Reading tours organised, was fair with her on the book. Her new novel, “sold, Because Venus in my birth of a cyclamen striped” nevertheless, so far, only 3,000 times.
Some speak of “Small”, other “independents”, such as the börsenverein of the German book trade. Anyway, these books creators see their work as art that would not exist without you. Therefore, you demand in Bavaria for more public funding.
An invitation to the “round table” has not reached Rothenberger and the other so far
the signatories to The letter suggest in addition to price in further funding opportunities. So year programs could be funded, individual projects or Translations. The Bavarian branch of the börsenverein you have on your page. The suspension of the price was a “completely wrong Signal,” complains spokeswoman Barbara Voit.
At the request of the taz has responded to the Ministry as fast as meaningless. You have to think about a “realignment” of the future promotion of independent publishers,””, divides the house. The arguments of the letter-writer would be represented by the Ministry for some time are “active in the Bund-Länder-discussion”. The house will convene a “round table”. Rothenberger and the other have so far received no invitation.
