Foreign Rights by Stephan Pauli

Foreign Rights Catalogue 2012 / 2013

Fiction / Novels

Daniela Dröscher

POLA A Life Like a Novel This is the story of Pola Negri, one of the first stars of the early cinema, whose life consisted more of illusion and appearances than of the truths typically told in a classic biography. About the Book Shortly before Christmas 1934, Pola Negri travels in a cattle truck in the direction of New York. There, a ship is waiting to take her back to Germany. She is hoping for a comeback, but her masterfully invented life story turns against her under the new Nazi powers. Pola Negri was a woman who had men, jewels, houses, fame - and she was willing to sacrifice everything to keep it. In the end, Pola Negri herself was unsure of what was really true, what was a lie, and what was simply rumour; a fact which Daniela Dröscher addresses with a great deal of humour, imagination and self-will. Pola is more than just a novel about one of the most colourful figures of the silent film era and the lover of both Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino, it is the story of a modern woman who went too far for her career and, in doing so, invariably missed out on her chance for happiness. About the Author Born in Munich in 1977, Daniela Dröscher lives with her family in Berlin. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including the Anna Seghers Prize, the Wortspiele Prize and, most recently, the 2012 Koblenz Literature Prize. Recently published: Die Lichter des George Psalmanazar (novel), Gloria (Short Stories).

• Novel • 304 pages • Autumn 2012 • English sample translation available Sales Points: • A spectacular, virtuous look at the glamorous life of the silent film star, Pola Negri • A must for all fans of the huge film success The Artist • The author has received multiple awards for her debut Die Lichter des George Psalmanazar and the volume of short stories Gloria • Press focus

Foreign Rights Contact: Sabine Oswald, sabine.oswald@berlinverlag.de, Tel +49 (0)30 44 38 45 15, Berlin Verlag / Bloomsbury Verlag GmbH, Greifswalder Str. 207, 10405 Berlin, Germany, www.berlinverlag.de

Fiction / Novels

Kevin Kuhn

HIKIKOMORI – overwhelmed by the world “A rare and wonderful debut: powerful, resolute, brave – a fantastic novel from a young author.” Hanns-Josef Ortheil About the Book A room and a decision: close the door, finally retreat, for days, for months, even years perhaps. Kevin Kuhn’s debut novel tells of growing up without guardrails, and allows reality and virtuality to become entangled in one another. Till is completely and utterly free: he goes to the “freest Waldorf school in the world” and his parents offer him all the support they can possibly muster. However, when he fails to make the grades for his school leaving examinations, he is suddenly thrown back on himself and begins to ponder: “What’s going to become of me?” He resolves to stick it out in his room until he finds an answer to his question. His room soon becomes a cocoon, and by withdrawing into himself Till believes he is making progress. Eventually, Till sets about creating an autocratic, self-contained virtual world − one which runs according to his rules. World 0 is a refuge for all who find the real world too demanding or restricted. And Till is their guarantor, as he fights not for himself, but for an entire generation of kids sitting in their rooms. About the Author

• Novel • 224 pages • Autumn 2012 • English sample translation available

Born in 1981 in Göttingen, Keven Kuhn now lives in Berlin. He studied Philosophy, History of Art and Theology in Tübingen, and Creative Writing and Cultural Journalism in Hildesheim. Since 2010, he has been working as a lecturer in the institute there. Kuhn has repeatedly spent time living abroad, including an extended period in Alaska and three years in Mexico City.

Sales Points: • The novel on a global phenomenon: Hikikomori • Powerful German debut • Press focus • Reading tour

Fiction / Novels

Inger-Maria Mahlke

Unfinished Business A panopticon of precarious existences inhabit an apartment building in a multi-cultural neighbourhood in Berlin, and every one of them has unfinished business – with someone else, with themselves, and with life. “Inger-Maria Mahlke’s story-telling is both merciless and tender.” Thomas Hettche About the Book Berlin-Neukölln: When shopaholic Claas Jansen is forced to move into an empty apartment in his own apartment building, there is far more to blame than just the banking crisis. And it’s not just Claas who sees his former life disappearing in a rapid downward spiral. Here, on the brink of becoming a trendy capital city, no problem is any less existential: Everyone has unfinished business – the African dealers, who are working off their smuggling fees; the legacy hunters and the Alzheimer-afflicted elderly; the parttime dominatrix, who leaves her nine-year-old son behind; not to mention countless other figures. A globalised community in a state of emergency. But in the end, everything pans out according to the usual ways of the world. Sensitive and radical, Inger-Maria Mahlke has sketched much more than just a diagnostic portrait of the era – hers is a great parable about the abysses of life on the fringe of our gentrified world. About the Author Born in Hamburg in 1977, Inger-Maria Mahlke studied Law at the Freie Universität Berlin and worked on various projects for the Department of Criminology. In 2009, Mahlke was the prize-winner at the 17th Open Mike, and in 2010 she was awarded the Klaus Michael Kühne Prize for her debut novel Silberfischchen. At the 2012 Festival of German Language Literature in Klagenfurt, she was honoured with the Ernst Willner Prize. Mahlke lives in Berlin.

• Novel • Approx. 280 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Ernst Willner Prize at the Ingeborg Bachmann Competition in Klagenfurt 2012 • Top Title • Significant press and media attention • Multi-award-winning author

Fiction / Novels

Elisabeth Rank

Are You Still Awake? Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves. Often, we trust them above all others. But just how robust are our specially selected kinships? Elisabeth Rank has written a poetic and sensitive novel about loneliness, love and friendship, but also primarily about saying goodbye. About the Book Rea and Konrad live together in a shared apartment, and are the very best of friends. As Rea’s thirtieth birthday creeps ever nearer, a certain sense of dissatisfaction seems to weigh increasingly heavy on her shoulders: she feels like she has visited every club, lived every experience, seen every wild and beautiful sunset. Questions play constantly on her mind: what next? In what direction is life taking her? Konrad’s life, on the other hand, seems already to be right on track; a track that leads him away from Rea. Suddenly, he has a girlfriend; the first in all these years. Unable to bear all of the new noises in the apartment, Rea seeks refuge in a supposedly carefree summer holiday – instead she finds simply that the mess she is in becomes all the more obvious. Could it be that we have become too unattached and self-centred for friendship? About the Author Elisabeth Rank was born in 1984 in Berlin. For the last ten years, she has been working as a freelance author for various magazines and publications. On a daily basis, she is also employed in the field of digital brand management. Her first novel, Und im Zweifel für dich selbst, was published in 2010.

• Novel • Approx. 280 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Rank’s debut novel was celebrated by the critics • Reading tour • Social media focus • “Elisabeth Rank has successfully managed to write a tacit, strong debut, which is impossible to put down.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Fiction / Novels

Christoph Höhtker

The Horrifying Reality of Life on my Side A breathtakingly beautiful Japanese waitress, a business trip with a delicate mission and an extremely attractive colleague named Céline. That’s all it takes to catapult Frank Stremmer, PR executive and notorious womanizer, from his miserable life into another dimension. About the Book A shimmering hot summer in Geneva and nine days in the life of PR executive Frank Stremmer, in which his problems begin to escalate. Stremmer’s girlfriend Marion has returned to Germany for an indefinite period of time. Moreover, his superior Paul Carragher, an alcoholic Englishman, has concocted a half-baked plan to save his crisis-ridden PR team from impending unemployment. However, a little bonus is to be found in the form of a Japanese waitress. Stremmer becomes aquainted with this beauty, and soon he finds himself browsing through Marion’s diary with her, sunning himself on secluded beaches around Lake Geneva and enjoying exciting little green pills. And there is also Stremmer’s colleague Céline, object of his every unfilled office-bound desire. She joins him on a trip to Zurich, where they have been sent by Carragher to finally buy some positive PR for their client. But, the plan to save their jobs doesn’t simply fail – it becomes an absolute disaster. About the Author Born in Bielefeld in 1967, Christoph Höhtker studied Sociology before going on to work as a journalist, language teacher and advertising copywriter. Since 2004, he has been employed as an international civil servant at an international organisation in Geneva. To date, he has published several short stories.

• Novel • Approx. 220 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • A must for readers of Michel Houellebecq and Frédéric Beigbeder • Fast-paced and cynical literary entertainment • Modern, popular, urban

Fiction / Crime Novels

Barbara Slawig

Visby A young scientist, a mysterious death, and an arms dealer hot on the trail. A gripping thriller about manipulation, desire and scientific fraud. About the Book Dhani was five when her mother died. After that, everything just fell apart: Dhani went to live with her grandparents and Eglund, the charismatic leader of the spiritual commune in which she had been living up until then, was arrested for drug trafficking. Soon afterwards, Adrian, who had always lovingly cared for Dhani, disappeared. Now a young mathematician, Dhani needs to finally gain some clarity. What happened at that time? Who is her father? A search for traces in the past begins, which soon takes on unexpected dimensions when two strangers begin tailing Dhani. What’s more, the security services of her research institute accuse Dhani of scientific misconduct – elements of her work, which can be put to use in the weapons industry, have been leaked. And could it be true that Eglund is now working as a weapons dealer? Visby is a novel which highlights the need we all have for an anchor in this world – and which demonstrates just how vulnerable and manipulable this yearning makes us. About the Author Born in Braunschweig in 1956, Barbara Slawig now lives in Berlin. She studied Biology and worked on meningitis epidemics in Africa before turning her back on science. Since 1990, she has worked translating English-language fiction. She also writes stories and novels which often offer her readers a hint of the fantastical.

• Crime Novel • 416 pages • Autumn 2012 Sales Points: • A must for all fans of Frank Schätzing and Henning Mankell • Author of several crime thrillers (under pseudonym) • Press focus

Fiction / Crime Novels

Susanne Mischke

Kill if You Can How far are you allowed to go for your child? Just imagine, your child has been kidnapped and you are given the choice – either you become a killer, or you spend the rest of your life despairing over a missed opportunity. Which one would you choose? About the Book Every mother’s worst nightmare has just come true: Tinka Hansson takes her eyes off her sleeping daughter for only a short second whilst shopping outside the market in Kungstorget Square in Gothenburg. When she turns back, Lucy’s buggy seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth. The initial moment of panic quickly turns into a horrifying eternity – the girl remains vanished. And the investigations of the special commission team for “Missing Persons”, lead by Greger Forsberg and Selma Valkonen, remain without any result. Four years later, Lucy’s father Leander is sent an anonymous letter with a mobile phone number. After calling it, he receives an SMS instructing him to go to the picturesque Fiskebäck marina. There, in a wastepaper basket, he finds the shoes that Lucy was wearing the day she disappeared, and a letter – his daughter is alive, but to find out where she is, first he has to kill someone, and not call the police! About the Author Born in 1960, Susanne Mischke lives in Germany and Sweden and has successfully been writing novels and detective stories for the last 20 years. Amongst other prizes, she has received the Georg Christoph Lichtenberg Prize for Literature and the Women’s Crime Fiction Prize from the town of Wiesbaden. Her bestsellers Mordskind and Die Eisheilige have been made into films.

• Crime novel • Approx. 420 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Over 500,000 copies sold in total • Bestseller potential • Classic women’s crime fiction • Thrilling and emotional • Modern, popular, urban

Fiction / Crime Novels

Stefan Holtkötter

Sleep Tight in Your Deep Grave A dead child, a small village and a dark secret should never come to light. About the Book Marienbüren suffers from heavy flooding: Torrential rain makes life hard for the inhabitants of the small village in the Teutoburg Forest, especially since the putrefied corpse of a child has been washed up in front of the young social worker Sanna Marquart´s feet. Nobody misses the child. It seems as if it had never existet. Is there a connection between the dead child and the disoriented boy who lives in Sanna´s orphanage? What happened to them? Together with commissar Böttger, Sanna starts uncovering hints, and comes across a hidden village secret. About the Author Stefan Holltkötter was born in 1973 and grew up in a farm in the region of Münsterland. He works in Berlin and near Münster as consultant and motivational trainer for unemployed persons. Since 2005 Holltkötter writes fascinating detective stories. He is member of Das Syndikat, the German union of thriller writers.

• Crime Novel • Approx. 320 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Over 130.000 copies sold in total • “High quality detective story.” WDR (West German Broadcasting)

Backlist Highlights

Sibylle Lewitscharoff

PONG Sibylle Lewitscharoff is almost tender in her portrayal of the daily life of a self-sufficient crackpot. With captivating wordplay and a host of neologisms, she outlines the psychological profile of a headstrong hero and simultaneously presents a poetic parable on life’s ever-present anxieties. About the Book Why a crackpot likes the world just the way it is – and why he sometimes doesn’t. Pong is a “not unpleasant” man. He wants to make the world a better place, overcome injustice, and save children from their mothers’ overpowering perfume. There’s just one problem: Pong is crazy. He is a complete misfit with his own perception of the world. Governed by fears, compulsions and fixed rules, Pong’s daily life is designed to protect his fragile existence from strangers in particular. He sees, analyses and acts consistently and with purpose. His “demented” inner world becomes the benchmark for all things and all lives. An unfathomably fun piece of literature, which has sparked off a firework of the absurd with a great deal of precision and dexterity. Praise

• 144 pages • First published 1998 • Ingeborg Bachmann Prize 1998

“An elegant sideways leap out of the current mainstream.” Die Zeit “Rarely has the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize been awarded to a more deserving winner. Whilst the other authors have been doing their utmost to extend the alphabet, Sibylle Lewitscharoff has simply reinvented it with deceptive ease.” Süddeutsche Zeitung “A magnificent, almost lyrical, linguistic masterpiece.” Die Welt “Often you find yourself reading certain passages aloud, delighting in the words, the superb imagery, the perfect rhythm of these sentences.” Frankfurter Rundschau “The most brilliant literary stylist in Germany today.” Tilman Krause, Die Welt

Backlist Highlights

Sibylle Lewitscharoff

Polite Little Harald A humorous adventure novel, touching and worldly-wise, which is just as perfect for reading quietly as it is for reading aloud. What’s more, the book’s countless illustrations, drawn by the author herself, will keep you captivated for hours. About the Book The story of a wondrous journey – a terrifically fantastic novel for everyone aged 9½ to 99. Once upon a time, in a village called Zwirnegg, there was a little boy whose mother cast him out early on in life. “Don’t let me lay eyes on you again until you’ve become a hero”. Well, polite little Harald had no choice but to toddle off and stumble across a host of wondrous adventures. With nothing but five Deutschemark and two broken biscuits in his bag, he hits the road and encounters an array of fascinating figures, such as the rum-guzzling Captain Dragon, a buxom blonde from Tashkent and the renowned scaredycat Nettelbeck. And let’s not forget the particularly pesky trio of mice, Sidonie-Isabell, Sidonie-Caramel and SidonieGrisaldine. Inspired by the traditions of nonsense literature, Sibylle Lewitscharoff has created a wonderfully witty adventure novel.

• 180 pages • With illustrations by the author • First published 1999

About the Author Sibylle Lewitscharoff was born in Stuttgart in 1954 and now lives in Berlin. She is one of the most prominent contemporary German authors and has received numerous awards, including the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in 2009 and the Kleist Prize in 2011. She also received the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for Pong.

Backlist Highlights

Jan Peter Bremer

The American Investor Praise “Jan Peter Bremer portrays the private catastrophe of a writer literally and symbolically losing the ground beneath his feet. Despite their comedy, his obsessive imaginations open up a view of existential human threats.” Alfred Döblin Prize “Jan Peter Bremer writes of the ludicrous gravity of even the smallest existence. He does this with unspectacular ease, with tenderness and humour and without any cynicism.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “Bremer’s latest novel takes us on an expedition into the sinister heart of capitalism, where the financial becomes the mysterious.” Die Zeit “Jan Peter Bremer has succeeded in telling a story of the social change in the capital and the perils thereof; a story of daily grind, depression and luck.” Stern “Jan Peter Bremer has written the novel of the hour: He tells of eviction and global homelessness in Berlin. A new kind of urban warfare, dramatic and frighteningly close to reality.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung “Jan Peter Bremer is a virtuoso of language: It’s unbelievable, the tricks this man has up his sleeve; he exaggerates, and pushes onward with even the crudest of his fantasies.” Hessischer Rundfunk About the Author Jan Peter Bremer works as a freelance author and lives with his wife and children in Berlin-Kreuzberg. In 1996 he received the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for his debut novel Der Fürst spricht.

• Novel • 120 pages • August 2011 Latest Awards: • 2012 Nicolas Born Prize • 2012 Mörike Literature Prize • 2012 Guest lecturer for Creative Writing at the Institute of German Literature, Leipzig • 2011 Alfred Döblin Prize

Backlist Highlights

Leif Randt

The Haze over Coby County Praise “Here you have the new German literature! The sound of that book makes Coby County a new signal of young German literature. Instead of “old wine in new bottles”, this text is a real beginning, like before Faserland by Christian Kracht or Summerhouse, Later by Judith Hermann.” Welt am Sonntag “It’s clever and it’s cool, so cool it’s unnerving.” Kulturspiegel “Coby County is a satirical unmasking of a society that isolates itself from the rest of the world. Literally forwardlooking.” Die Welt “The invention of a new genre. Highly amusing and highly ironic.” Zeit online “Bret Easton Ellis-like reporting.” Der Tagesspiegel “Leif Randt’s text is reminiscent of the early Christian Kracht on a meaningless, glossy wellness world.” Der Standard “While readers arrived in 1984 when reading George Orwell in 1948, this “story of generation fruit basket” is by no means a utopia, but a satire of the “new man” who already exists.” Die Presse “Literature rarely attempts something like this.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung About the Author Leif Randt, born 1983 in Frankfurt am Main, lives in Berlin. Masters study in Giessen, Degree study in Hildesheim, Erasmus study in London.

• Novel • 240 pages • August 2011 • Sample translations in various languages available Latest Awards: • 2012 Düsseldorf Literature Prize • 2011 Ernst Willner Prize at the Ingeborg Bachmann Competition in Klagenfurt • 2011 Nicolas Born Prize • 2011 MDR Literature Prize

Non-Fiction / Gift Book

Mario Giordano

1000 Emotions – For Which There Are No Names They hurt and amaze us, they bring us to tears and rob us of our sleep, sometimes they can overwhelm us or allow us to simply feel happy, just for a moment; they are all feelings which we know only too well, but for which there are no names. About the Book Mario Giordano has collected them all in this book: the childish joy at the first snow and the jealousy of the blissful sleep of others; the sudden need to press every doorbell in sight and the anger at one’s own inability to be angry; the fear of being caught when picking one’s nose and the temptation of exceeding a threshold, or of simply disembarking at the next station. Big and grand emotions have found their way into this book, not to mention those that are dark or nasty, mean or lovely, children’s emotions and parents’ emotions, Italian and German emotions, secret emotions and the emotions of rascals, winter and summer emotions, office and train emotions, computer and weather emotions – it’s a little wonder of a book. About the Author Born in 1963, Mario Giordano studied Psychology and Philosophy in Düsseldorf. He is known primarily for his work as a screenwriter and author of books for children and young adults. His novel Black Box (1999), which is based on a true story, was made into a film entitled Das Experiment under the direction of Oliver Hirschbiegel.

• Approx. 200 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Top Title • Intelligent humour • Gift book

Non-Fiction / Biography

Lisa Zeitz

Werner Muensterberger. A Century-long Life “He knew all about James Dean’s dreams,” wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Besides the neuroses of the film stars, his passions included African masks and the depths of the human soul: Werner Muensterberger, psychoanalyst and ethnologist, one of the greatest collectors of our time. About the Book Born in Germany in 1913 as the son of a Jewish factory owner, Muensterberger grew up during the turbulent years of the Weimar Republic, went on to study Ethnology and History of Art and mingled with artists in the bohemian enclaves of Amsterdam and Monte Verità. Later, Muensterberger’s life was saved by a friend who hid him from the Gestapo for years in her house in Amsterdam. After the war, he emigrated to the USA and began working as a psychoanalyst and teaching as a professor for ethnopsychiatry in New York. Whilst there, Muensterberger not only established his collection of African art, which now counts among the most important in the world, but, until his death in 2011, he was also regarded as one of the most influential figures of the New York intellectual scene. Lisa Zeitz accompanied Muensterberger for many years and, on the basis of numerous encounters and previously unpublished documents, has now retraced his unique life story. About the Author Born in 1970, Lisa Zeitz studied History of Art. She is a renowned expert in the field of the international art market, and has headed the New York office of Villa Grisebach, was a correspondent for the German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and a columnist for the political magazine Cicero. Lisa Zeitz lives in Berlin.

• Biography • Approx. 300 pages • Spring 2013 Sales Points: • Biography of one the greatest collectors of our time • Previously unpublished documents • A fascinating insight into the world of art • An intriguing panorama of the twentieth century

Non-Fiction / Memoir

Mojtaba, Masoud and Milad Sadinam

Not Welcome. Three Brothers from Iran Tell their German Story From refugees to A-grade students, from asylum seekers to exemplary emigrants – Not welcome tells the unbelievable story of the integration of three brothers against all the odds. “They hadn’t a chance, but they used it.” Die Welt About the Book The three brothers Mojtaba, Masoud and Milad grew up in Iran during the 1980s as the children of dissident parents. When their mother is caught at a prohibited flyercampaign, they are forced into hiding and are completely cut off from the outside world for months. The trio remains underground until they are able to risk an escape and, in the summer of 1996, are smuggled illegally into Germany with nothing but a single suitcase. With no money, no papers and without being able to speak a word of German, they find themselves in a refugee camp near Münster. Then comes the shock: their asylum application has been denied and they are summoned for immediate departure. This is the story of the search of three young men for a homeland and for freedom, and a story about the need to belong. It is the record of the fate of a refugee – but above all else, it is a parable about brotherhood, humanity and courage as you have never read it before. About the Authors Mojtaba Sadinam and Masoud Sadinam are twin brothers, born in 1984 in Tehran and live in Frankfurt am Main. After having achieved best results in their school examinations, they received scholarships for their academic career. Today, Mojtaba studies Philosophy and History and Masoud studies History and Politics. Milad Sadinam, born in Tehran in 1986, also received a scholarship to study Business Information Systems. Today he works as a computer game programmer in Essen.

• Memoir • 252 pages • September 2012 Sales Points: • An important contribution to the debate on integration • Likeable authors with a fascinating life-story • The authors have been featured in many publications and other media • Press focus

Non-Fiction / History

Eva Züchner

The Burnt Suitcase. A Jewish Family in Berlin The impressive story of a Jewish family in Berlin in the 1930s and 40s. On the basis of newly discovered sources, Eva Züchner recomposes the many mosaic pieces into a story that let us look back at this dark time with a rare sense of urgency. About the Book Berlin 1938. The well-known mannequin Tilly Albrecht is found dead, brutally murdered in her own apartment. Walter Caro, an inconspicuous Jewish man and acquainted with the murder victim, is under suspicion. Although he is soon proved innocent and nor is there any evidence for the crime of ‘racial defilement’, the Gestapo has him in its sights. What follows is reminiscent of a trap door opening. The terror of the Nazi bureaucracy hits his family and those of his brothers Kurt and Werner with full force. From now on, their paths lead to the concentration and extermination camps, but also to illegal hiding places, resistance and exile. Eva Züchner follows the traces of a handful of individuals as if in a burning glass. “From an immense amount of documents Eva Züchner writes a report on the daily life in the Third Reich. She doesn’t judge, the horror comes out spontaneously by reading the book.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung About the Author Eva Züchner studied comparative literature and modern history in Berlin and went on to curate exhibitions and head the archive at the Berlinische Galerie. Berlin Verlag has previously published her book Der verschwundene Journalist.

• 160 pages • 14 b/w illustrations • March 2012 Sales Points: • “An excellent documentary book about a time in which the Jews in Germany weren’t treated as human beings anymore.” Jüdische Allgemeine • “Züchner manages to tell a vivid and compelling, as well as sensitive story of a Jewish destiny.” Damals

Non-Fiction / Movie

David and Vincent Assman

Live Like in The Movies Things the cinema can teach you for your daily life. A wonderful film compendium for everyone. About the Book The most beautiful stories are told in movies. So where else, if not there, should we look for inspiration on ways to enjoy an easier life? Ursula Andress shows us how to look stunning whilst stepping out of the sea in James Bond. Adrian Brody and Owen Wilson demonstrate how to sweat stylishly in The Darjeeling Limited. And there are plenty of tips on how to have a proper argument as a couple in the German cult film alle anderen. Live like in the Movies has collected over a hundred important tricks that can be found on the big screen. What’s more, this book acts as a wonderful film compendium, which not only presents us with our favourite scenes from some of the best movies of all time, but also encourages us to discover new ones. About the Authors Vincent, David and Corinna Assmann grew up in Heidelberg, Berlin, Jerusalem, Santa Monica and Constance. Their celebrated movie Football Under Cover won the Teddy at the Berlinale. All three Assmanns are avid cinemagoers, and if they had to agree on a favourite film it would be The Apartment by Billy Wilder.

• 176 pages • With b/w illustrations by Corinna Assman • September 2012

Non-Fiction / Culture History

Christian Saehrendt

No Fear of Ridicule! A History of Embarrassment Erotic faux pas, uncontrollable bodily functions, catastrophic fashion fails – we all know the fear of ridicule. But what exactly is embarrassment, and why is it such a powerful emotion? With a sense of humour, bestselling author Christian Saehrendt aims to track down a feeling that we all both know and fear. About the Book Am I embarrassing? And if yes, then why? Nowadays, the powerful and the famous seem to find absolutely nothing embarrassing, whilst teenagers insist on warbling out-of-tune songs on our televisions, Charlie Sheen drunkenly mouths off in front of an audience of millions, and C-list celebrities are happy to munch on insects. And yet, we ordinary folk still find nothing as embarrassing as simply being embarrassing. Why is that? Christian Saehrendt addresses some of today’s most common blunders, and takes a look at the most famous indiscretions of the past century. But whilst some people seem to feel no sense of shame at all, others, such as the so-called Hikikomori of Japan, are forced by their fear of humiliation into social isolation. If nothing else, No fear of ridicule! is a sympathetic compendium for all who feel embarrassed. In the end we have to ask ourselves whether we wouldn’t have much more fun if we just misbehaved every once in a while. About the Author Christian Saehrendt was born in 1968 and obtained his doctorate in History of Art. As a freelance publicist, he has written numerous books on historical and cultural issues, as well as on art. His guide for modern art, Das kann ich auch!, became a bestseller in 2007. Saehrendt lives in Switzerland and in Berlin.

• 200 pages • March 2012 Sales Points: • Finally, the truth about “embarrassment” • Bestselling author, 70,000 copies of Das kann ich auch! sold • Press focus / social media campaign

Berlin Verlag Bloomsbury Verlag GmbH Greifswalder Str. 207 D - 10405 Berlin Germany www.berlinverlag.de Contact: Sabine Oswald Foreign Rights Director sabine.oswald@berlinverlag.de Tel +49 (0) 30 44 38 45 15 Fax +49 (0) 30 44 38 45 95

Translated by Nicola Martin Umschlagfoto ÂŠ Alfred Buellesbach / VISUM creative