UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2017-ENG

The inimitable smell of print When the discussion turns to the group’s most memorable book-related experiences, the room truly comes alive. One literature enthusiast names The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas as having made the biggest impression. Another reminisces about the feat of wading through Elective Affinities , the novel by JohannWolfgang von Goethe. The third remembers having read the entire bibliography of Franz Kafka in their youth. Having familiar books on the shelf creates an air of safety and a feeling of being at home. It doesn’t matter if the pages are falling out after being read over and over, or if every corner is dog-eared – a fate from which eBooks are luckily spared. The book lovers gathered at Lesesaal also hear excerpts from two French novels. The first captures the loud tapping sound of the Remington typewriter, the second conjures up a car whizzing through the French countryside. This year, many Germans have enriched their bookshelves with French literature newly translated into German. After this evening, a good fewwill also be adding novels by Laferrière and Paravel to their shelves.  For the customers of the Lesehaal bookshop, the bookshelf is the heart of the home. Many people read in the evenings, which makes a paper book a better option than an e-book, as the blue light of a mobile device would disturb sleep.

PRIZE FOR INNOVATIVE BOOKSELLERS Two diminutive diplomas hang in the indow of the Lesesaal bookshop in Hamburg: Deutscher Buchhandlungspreis 2015 and 2016. This is a prize given to private booksellers with a turn­ over of less than EUR 1 million in recognition of their excellent work promoting literature. “The award boosts your reputation in the book industry. It helps booksellers to be taken seriously and get invited to literary events,” explains Stephanie Krawehl, prize-winning bookshop owner. Krawehl regularly organises events in her bookshop, actively participates in the literary life of Hamburg and strives to advance literature in schools and kindergartens. There are approximately 6000 bookshops in Germany. Small, privately owned book­ shops are a highly visible part of the urban landscape in many cities. Presented by the German Ministry of Culture, the Deutscher Buchhandlungspreis was launched in 2015 to highlight the significant role played by booksellers in keeping literature alive. The award, presented by the German Ministry of Culture, was launched in 2015.

Printed books create a cosy, homelike feel, as they reflect the owner’s tastes and world view.

Read more: www.deutscher- buchhandlungspreis.de

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