African and Afro-Diasporic Literature Center Stage.
An Interview with InterKontinental Publisher, Translator and Bookseller Venice Trommer

18. July 2022Sandra van LenteBookshop, Events, Indie Publisher, InterviewAfrican Book Festival, indie publisher, InterKontinental

InterKontinental started off as a literary agency and organized the first African Book Festival in Berlin in 2018. Since then, they have also opened a bookshop that specialises in African literatures and literature from the African diaspora. In 2022, the multitalented team launches their new independent press: InterKontinental Publishing House […] Read more

Literary Field Kaleidoscope | Inkandescent | Mainstream

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”
An Interview with Justin David from Inkandescent

28. September 2021Sandra van LenteIndie Publisher, Interviewindie publishing, Inkandescent, interview, mainstream, representation, underrepresentation

In the summer of 2021, indie publisher Inkandescent published MAINSTREAM. An Anthology of Stories from the Edges. As Aliya Gulamani (Spread the Word / Unbound) wrote in her foreword: “They wanted to create an anthology unrestricted by theme and subject that celebrated talented writers and the stories they wanted to […] Read more

Literary Field Kaleidoscope | Ein Winter in Sokcho

Winter in Sokcho – ein Interview mit dem deutschen Übersetzer Andreas Jandl

15. December 2020Sandra van LenteInterviewAndreas Jandl, Elisa Shua Dusapin, interview, translation, Winter in Sokcho

Bei meiner Vorbereitung für das Interview mit der Autorin Elisa Shua Dusapin und ihrer Übersetzerin ins Englische Aneesa Abbas Higgins für den Birmingham Lit Fest Presents… Podcast bin ich auch über die deutsche Übersetzung von Andreas Jandl, erschienen bei Blumenbar (Aufbau Verlag), gestoßen. (Den Artikel zum Podcast finden Sie hier: […] Read more

Literary Field Kaleidoscope | Literature Wales

Croeso i Gymru – Experiencing Literature Wales

2. June 2020Gesa StedmanInterviewCymru, interview, Literature Wales, Tŷ Newydd, Wales, work experience

Isabella Kremer and Taylor Hebert, two of Gesa Stedman’s students at the Centre for British Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, spent their cultural immersion experience at Literature Wales. For Literary Field Kaleidoscope they talk about their experience. Read more

Janika Gelinek und Sonja Longolius, Foto Nina Zimmermann

“Quite groggy and very happy”: An account of the first months in the Literaturhaus under the new dual leadership of Janika Gelinek and Sonja Longolius

21. November 2018Gesa StedmanEvents, InterviewBerlin, Europa, Janika Gelinek, literature events, Literaturhaus, Sonja Longolius, Tandem

Gesa Stedman and Sandra van Lente asked the two new directors of the Literaturhaus in an interview about their experiences with the Literaturhaus’ new concept: whether it has worked so far to engage the whole house in Fasanenstraße in their events, to open up their focus to incorporate European literature […] Read more

Passion and Politics – Ocelot, Not Just Another Bookstore

15. October 2018Sandra van LenteBookshop, Interview#publishersagainstracism, #verlagegegenrechts, #WiT, activism, Berlin, bookshop, communication, enthusiasm, events, indie publishing, indiebookday, political act, social media

Our interview partner for today’s Literary Field Kaleidoscope post is Maria-Christina Piwowarski who runs “ocelot, not just another bookstore” with her team. She runs this exceptional bookshop in the heart of Berlin with an infectious passion, an amazing knowledge of all things bookish, and a political compass that I wish […] Read more

cover of mary beard's book women and power, a manifesto

Mary Beard’s “Women & Power “- A Conversation with Sabine Blackmore

13. March 2018GuestInterview, Reviewcultural templates, Feminism, gender equality, gendered violence, interview, literature, Mary Beard, power relations, rethinking power, Review, Women and Power. A Manifesto

In November 2017, Mary Beard’s book Women & Power. A Manifesto hit the shelves – and a nerve. In the two parts titled “The Public Voice of Women” and “Women in Power”, Mary Beard draws our attention to culturally embedded stereotypes and “cultural template[s] which [work] to disempower women”. She […] Read more

“We believe in more good books, good bookshops with good booksellers and customers who appreciate this” – Interview with an Independent Bookseller in Berlin

6. October 2017Gesa StedmanInterviewBerlin, bookseller, Buchlokal, children's books, future readers, independent bookshops, indies, literary fiction, YA books

Gesa Stedman interviewed Friederike Zöllner, owner of the bookshop Buchlokal in Berlin-Pankow, for the Literary Field Kaleidoscope. The German version of the interview is available via this link (German pdf), an English pdf file here (link to English pdf). When and why did Buchlokal first open? Which core areas does […] Read more

Bibliodiversity, Fair Speech and Cultural Resilience –
an Interview with the Feminist Author and Publisher Susan Hawthorne

16. June 2017Sandra van LenteInterviewbibliodiversity, fair speech, independent publishing, mindset, optimistic edge, Spinifex Press, Susan Hawthorne, transformation, WTO

This spring, I had the great pleasure to meet Susan Hawthorne, who was invited to Berlin by the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin and spoke on account of the publication of the German translation of her book “Bibliodiversity”, translated by Doris Hermanns and published by Verbrecher Verlag in March 2017 (link). In […] Read more

Passion and commerce – an interview with an independent bookseller in Paris

3. May 2017Sandra van LenteInterviewbookselling, events, France, indie bookshops, interview, l'arbre à lettres, Paris

During my last stay in Paris, I had the great pleasure to meet Marie-Claire Pleros, bookseller at the bookshop “l’arbre à lettres”, the book tree, in my quartier in Paris. The bookshop is situated in 62 rue du Faubourg St. Antoine, just a couple of minutes from the Bastille. I […] Read more