In this episode, translator Chen Chen reads a sample of Michael Martin Day’s English translation of Liao Yiwu’s »18 Prisoners«.

Prisons serve as mirrors reflecting societal truths by unveiling its darker counterpart. The stories shared by those incarcerated offer distinct, countervailing narratives. Liao Yiwu, in his incarceration, gathered these life stories, piecing together an alternative narrative of China's history. Echoing the endeavors of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, he uncovers the grim realities within what he terms "the world's largest prison." »18 Prisoners« delves into the lives of not just 18 individuals, often incarcerated for their political beliefs, but also narrates 18 tales of escape. Each instance of escape—whether across towering mountains or vast seas—underscores that the human yearning for freedom, inventive spirit, and the indomitable drive to survive transcend political subjugation.

Liao Yiwu, born in Sichuan province in 1958, grew up in great poverty. In 1989, he wrote the poem "Massacre", for which he was imprisoned for four years. In 2007, Liao Yiwu was awarded the Freedom to Write Prize from the Independent Chinese PEN Centre, the awarding of which was prevented at the last minute. Since then, he has published numerous books that have been translated into many languages, including »The Corpse Walker« (2009), »For a Song and a Hundred Songs« (2011), »Wuhan« (2022). He lives in Berlin.

Head to our website to find a pdf of today’s sample here.

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Credits

Text originally published as “18個囚徒 18 Gefangene” by 廖亦武 Liao Yiwu

Translated by Michael Martin Day, read by Chen Chen.

Copyright © S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2025

Concept: Verena von Bassewitz, Martin Butz & Elisa Diallo

Production, Editing & Sound Design: Martin Butz

⁠Impressum

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, translator Alexandra Roesch reads an English sample of Elisa Hoven’s »Dark Moments«.

This absorbing debut novel draws from Elisa Hoven’s experience as a professor of criminal law and high-court judge. Nine cases unfold as gripping legal dramas, exploring moral and ethical dilemmas through the lens of law and justice.

»Dark Moments« takes the reader into the world of protagonist and narrator, Eva Herbergen, a seasoned defence lawyer from Berlin, as she unravels the complexities of the human condition in a captivating array of legal quandaries that shape and test her resolve. Each tale is woven with unforeseen twists and revelations.

From rape to fraud, assault to murder, each case challenges conventional notions of right and wrong, blurring the lines and forcing Eva Herbergen to confront her own issues from the past. As she explores the intricate web of moral ambiguity, her resolve is tested, and her boundaries are constantly pushed.

Elisa Hoven (1982) is a professor of criminal law at the University of Leipzig. Her research focuses on German and international criminal law, economic criminal law, media criminal law, and sexual criminal law. Since 2020, she has also been a judge at the Saxon Constitutional Court. She has worked in Australia, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States during her various academic and research endeavors.

Rights to the title have so far been sold to: Czech Republic (Alpress), Italy (Neri Pozza), Japan (Tokyo Sogensha), Netherlands (Thomas Rap), Norway (Bonnier Norsk), Spain (Maeva).

Head to our website to find a pdf of today’s sample here.

Send feedback and rights inquiries to ⁠foreignrights@fischerverlage.de⁠, or visit our ⁠website⁠ to find the right contact within our team for your territory.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@s.fischer.foreignrights⁠.

Browse our latest rights guides and our online rights catalogue ⁠here⁠.

Subscribe to »Catch of the Day« on your preferred podcast app to not miss the next episode!

Credits

Text originally published as “Dunkle Momente” by Elisa Hoven

Translated and read by Alexandra Roesch

Copyright © S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2025

Concept: Verena von Bassewitz, Martin Butz & Elisa Diallo

Production, Editing & Sound Design: Martin Butz

⁠Impressum

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, translator Simon Pare reads Thomas Mann’s essay »The Dangers Facing Democracy« from »In Defense of Democracy« which compiles all of Thomas Mann's relevant speeches and essays on democracy for the first time in one volume.

"It has become a questionable matter with the self-evidence of democracy around the world." This remark does not stem from a comment on the current political situation but from Thomas Mann's lecture "On the Future Victory of Democracy" from 1938. It's no coincidence that Thomas Mann is being rediscovered in the present as a passionate defender of democracy. He personally experienced how tenuous this form of government and its associated culture can be through the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Thomas Mann remains astoundingly relevant, particularly because he also understands democracy as a way of life: as a practice in gracefully dealing with plurality.

Thomas Mann, (1875 - 1955) is one of the 20th century’s most significant writers. He is credited with bringing the German novel to the international stage, and his multifaceted works have received a worldwide positive reception which has rarely been equalled. From 1933 onwards, he lived in exile, first in Switzerland, then in the US. Only in 1952 did Mann return to Europe, where he died in 1955 in Zurich.

Send feedback and rights inquiries to ⁠foreignrights@fischerverlage.de⁠, or visit our ⁠website⁠ to find the right contact within our team for your territory.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@s.fischer.foreignrights⁠.

Browse our latest rights guides and our online rights catalogue here⁠.

Subscribe to »Catch of the Day« on your preferred podcast app to not miss the next episode!

Credits

Text originally published as “In Defense of Democracy” by Thomas Mann

Read by Simon Pare

Copyright © S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2025

Concept: Verena von Bassewitz, Martin Butz & Elisa Diallo

Production, Editing & Sound Design: Martin Butz

⁠Impressum

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.