November isn’t far away, and you all know what that means – German Literature Month is just around the corner! For the 15th (!) time, we’ll be reading German, Austrian, or Swiss books, enjoying a whole month of German-language literature.
This year is a little different because Lizzy, of Lizzy’s Literary Life, is on a hiatus for health reasons. We hope she will still manage to participate but, sadly, she will not be able to co-host. I’m pleased to announce that Tony from Tony’s Reading List will be co-hosting this year.
If you’d like to participate, there’s only one rule to follow – read books that were originally written in German. Other than that, you can read whatever you like, or you can follow the structure Tony and I are adopting.
One special feature for this year’s event is a Thomas Mann week to celebrate his 150th birthday – you can see the full schedule below:
November 1st-9th: Genre Week
You could choose novels or short stories, but maybe you’d like to try something different, such as poetry or a play.
November 10th-16th: City Week
Pick either a book set in a particular city, or an author from a particular city.
November 17th-23rd: Thomas Mann Week
Let’s celebrate the great man’s 150th birthday in style.
November 24th- 30th: GDR Week
Any author from the former German Democratic Republic is possible.
German Literature Month is not a challenge, or a competition to read the most books, and reading one item, originally written in German, is enough to participate.
I hope that many of you will join Tony and me on our reading journeys. For those who are happy to do so, you can write blog or Instagram posts, or simply share what you’re reading on X (Twitter), BlueSky or Facebook – and don’t forget to add #GermanLitMonth so we can find you.
I’m planning on reading poetry, the city I might pick is Berlin or Hamburg. For Thomas Mann week I hope to revisit Der Zauberberg or read Tilmann Lahme’s brand new biography that just came out in German. Christa Wolf’s Medea or her short stories are my choice for GDR week.
What about you? What will you be reading?
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
Excellent! I have Siblings by Brigitte Reimann lined up to cover German Lit Month and Novellas in November!
Wonderful. I liked that book very much.
This has made my day! I’ve got Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman by FC Delius for the City Week ( ok, set in Rome, not a German city),a couple of books about Thomas Mann and der Zauberberg- Volker Weidermann’s Mann vom Meer and Norman Ohler, der Zauberberg, die ganze Geschichte, and then Julia Schoch’s das Liebespaar des Jahrhunderts and Marlen Hobrack’s Erbgut for writers from former GDR. Definitely hunkering down in November! Thanks for putting this on again.
It’s my pleasure. I’m so glad to hear that. Wonderful choices. I’ve read both Delius and Weidermann and enjoyed them both. I’ve not read Marlene Hobrack and will have to e to look her up. Thanks.
Thrilled to see this. I WILL try to participate. I recently read about Young Werther being one of the most important works of literature. I must look at it seriously sometime. Maybe this will be the time.
Hi Andrew, nice to see you here. I hope you can participate. It’s been ages since I read Werther. It was very affecting.
Thanks for hosting this again! I’ll try to take part, although I’m not sure what I’ll be reading yet.
I’m glad to hear it. There’s still time to decide. I hope you find good choices.
Hurrah! Will definitely try to join in and would love to read more Mann though we shall have to see!
I’m very happy to see this. He was prolific, so I hope you will find something.
I was so excited to see this announcement! I look forward to this event every year! Thank you!
How nice. I’m glad you’re participating.
I’d love to take part. I’m weighing up my options, including one in German (Imperium) that I was sent accidentally instead of the English translation I ordered – twice! So I gave up and kept it. But I also have a translation or two on my shelves.
That is great news. Too bad about the wrong edition though. I’ve got it on my piles too but won’t be able to read it for this GLM. I hope you’ll enjoy the books you’ll be reading.
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Hi Caroline, It’s always good to see a post from you pop up in my RSS reader! Sure, I’d love to participate. I have had “The Summer House, Later” on my Kindle for a while now – I think you recommended it to me ages ago. And I’ve been meaning to read The Magic Mountain for years, so maybe I’ll finally get to that too.
Hi Andrew, so of you to visit. And I’m very happy you’ll join us. Yes, I do love “Summer House, Later.” I hope you’ll like it too. Thomas Mann is fantastic as I’m just finding out again.
Thanks for hosting this event again.
I have three books in mind, I’m not sure they fit any of the categories you listed. I’m tempted by Les aventures de Ruben Jablonski by Edgar Hilsenrath.
My pleasure, Emma. There’s no need to follow our program. It’s nice to have you join I haven’t read the book you mention.
Looking forward to it! I’m hoping this will be thepush I need to finally read The Magic Mountain 🙂
I’m so glad you’ll join us. I’ve just read the first 100 pages of The Magic Mountain. I thought it was a reread but then realized I actually read Dr Faustus not this. I didn’t expect it to be this funny. The writing is amazing and it’s so witty. All these characters. Like an over the top hotel novel, a genre I’m particularly find of. Hooe that helps 😊
It does for sure!
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I was really happy to find this on AnnaBookBel’s blog and I’m already looking on my German shelf (I’m a lazy German graduate – 30 years ago I finished my degree and it’s easier to find and read German books in translation🤷🏼♀️). So I’ve subscribed to yours and Tony’s blogs, and I’m compiling my books to read already! I’m not too sure if I’ll stick to the 4 suggestions, but I’ll try! I’m glad to have found you both!
How wonderful that you will join us and thanks for following us. It us up to you what you read but, if you join us for the themed weeks that would be great too.
I look forward to this event every year! Thank you! I will now start my search for book originally written in German!
I‘m very glad to hear that. I hope you find good choices.
Ready to start #GermanLitMonth25!
Reading list:
Wonderful. I’ll have a look shortly.
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