Hamburg Noir

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

From the Introduciton by Jan Karsten: The many facets of Hamburg's ambivalent identity, forged over centuries, are on full display in the stories collected in this anthology. This book assembles some of the city's finest and best-known writers, luminaries in the world of crime fiction and German literature, featuring multiple recipients of the German Crime Fiction Award and the Hubert Fichte Prize, among others. Relative newcomers rub shoulders with established authors, some of whose work now spans decades... The fourteen stories in this collection all look to where good (crime) fiction has always looked: toward lesser-known settings and living situations, repeatedly drawing our attention to lives overlooked, the lost souls and the powerless who have slipped through the cracks of commerce. The perspectives on the metropolis are as varied as the writers' backgrounds, resulting in a varied depiction of Hamburg as a colorful hodgepodge of people inhabiting a lively city of millions. Between water and spirits, between power and oblivion, between dream and reality. FEATURING BRAND-NEW STORIES FROM: Nora Luttmer, Till Raether, Matthias Wittekindt, Ingvar Ambjornsen, Bela B Felsenheimer, Jasmin Ramadan, Frank Gohre, Timo Blunck, Katrin Seddig, Tina Uebel, Zoe Beck, Brigitte Helbling, Kai Hensel, Robert Brack; translated from German by Noah Harley, Paul Young, and Geoff Howes; translated from German by Noah Harley, Geoffrey Howes, and Paul Young.

Reviews

Diversity is the hallmark of the series. While ostensibly dark tales of crime and despair, the genius of the series lies in its ability to use such an uncharacteristic point of entry to convey the identity and essence of a place with remarkably poignant accuracy.-- "PopMatters"
Hold the eggnog: What you need is a draft of 'edgy fatalism and sexy recklessness, ' of flashy crime, gallows humor, and 'desperate deals with a variety of devils, ' served up every year since 2004 by the editors of Akashic Books' brilliant noir anthologies. From Brooklyn to Boston, from Phoenix to pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans, each volume in the series reveals a city's distinctive inner darkness.-- "O, The Oprah Magazine"
Over the past few years, some of the best collections of short stories have been the Noir anthologies published by Akashic . . . To me, these collections are total gems, a quality read from some of today's best authors.--Oline Cogdill "Sun-Sentinel"

Author Bio

JAN KARSTEN is the publisher and editor of CulturBooks, an award-winning independent publishing house based in Germany that specializes in contemporary international literature and crime fiction and has twice won the Deutsche Krimipreis award. Karsten also translates literature from English, including works by Keith Gessen, Carl Nixon, and Kathryn Scanlan. He lives in Hamburg.