Saying Reality as Though It Wasn't Real Anyway or The Angels' Tantrums
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Czech Republic (Archa)
After Josef Winkler received the Georg Büchner Prize in Darmstadt on 1 November 2008, he gave a speech that forms the basis of this book. It answers a few questions: Josef Winkler, who is he? Where is he from? What has shaped him? How did he become a writer? Why has he recently stopped feeling ashamed when he doesn’t think about suicide every day?
Josef Winkler, who grew up on a farm in a small Catholic village in Carinthia, where there were no books...
After Josef Winkler received the Georg Büchner Prize in Darmstadt on 1 November 2008, he gave a speech that forms the basis of this book. It answers a few questions: Josef Winkler, who is he? Where is he from? What has shaped him? How did he become a writer? Why has he recently stopped feeling ashamed when he doesn’t think about suicide every day?
Josef Winkler, who grew up on a farm in a small Catholic village in Carinthia, where there were no books – apart from the old worn black prayer books engraved with a golden cross, deeply anchored in the souls of children, touchable and tangible with fingertips – not even the Bible, tells of his early longing for language and images. With stolen money he bought books by Camus, Hemingway, Sartre, Peter Weiss and Jean Genet. He read these books as if he had written them himself, and no sooner had he taken off his altar boy coat than he said to himself, »One day I’ll write a book!«
Digressing and digressing, Winkler sketches a self-portrait – which also includes two of his patron saints, the painter Chaim Soutine and the writer and thief Jean Genet.
DISCOVER
Josef Winkler Receives the Austrian Franz Kafka Prize 2024
The Austrian author has received the Franz Kafka Prize 2024 in recognition of his oeuvre.DISCOVER
Josef Winkler Receives the Austrian Franz Kafka Prize 2024
The Austrian author has received the Franz Kafka Prize 2024 in recognition of his oeuvre.Persons
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»On New Market two white roosters with sickle-shaped tails and red, jagged, translucent, upright combs that keep flapping to one side like rubber with every movement are standing in a basket. All around the shining light bulbs are coated in silver foil, so that the light falls focused on the piles of papayas, mangos and the fruits of the pineapples from Kerala.« This is one of the chapter...

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Spanish world rights (De Conatus), France (Verdier), Czech Republic (Archa), Bulgaria (Black Flamingo)
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (Der Diwan)

I'm Going to Pluck One of My Eyelashes Out and Stab You to Death With It
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Slovenia (LUD Literatura)

Roppongi
Bulgaria (Black Flamingo)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: France (Verdier), Czech Republic (Archa), Croatia (Leykam), Slovenia (Hermagoras/Mohorjeva)

Corpse, Stalking Its Family
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Czech Republic (Archa)

Natura morta
Denmark (Sidste Århundrede), Slovenia (Cankarjeva založba), Turkey (Ketebe)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: English world rights (Contra Mundum), Spanish world rights (Galaxia Gutenberg), Russia (AST), France (Verdier), Italy (Forum), Norway (Solum), Czech Republic (Archa), Bulgaria (Black Flamingo), Lithuania (Kitos Knygos), Croatia (Leykam), Bosnia (Vrijeme), Ukraine (Knihy XXI)

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Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: English world rights (Contra Mundum), Spanish world rights (Galaxia Gutenberg), France (Verdier), Czech Republic (Archa), Slovenia (Hermagoras)

Domra
Macedonia (Ars Lamina)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: France (Verdier), Czech Republic (Archa)

Flowers for Jean Genet
Czech Republic (Archa)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: USA (Ariadne Press), France (Verdier), Serbia (Karpos)

Graveyard of Bitter Oranges
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: English world rights (Contra Mundum), Spanish world rights (Galaxia Gutenberg), Russia (AST), France (Verdier)

The Serf
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: USA (Ariadne), France (Verdier)

The Abduction
France (Verdier)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Japan (Dogakusha), Ukraine (Krytyka)