Hanser Verlag celebrates literary tradition and new narrative art at the book fair

Hanser Verlag is one of Germany's most renowned publishing houses. As an independent family business with almost a century of history, it combines literary heritage with a contemporary voice. At the book fair, Hanser impressively demonstrates how tradition, cultural responsibility, and curiosity about new authors can be combined.

Hanser Verlag: A family business with a literary profile

Founded in Munich, Hanser Verlag has stood for sophisticated literature and intellectual diversity for decades. Unlike many large publishing houses, Hanser is still not part of a corporate structure – a fact that shapes its editorial freedom. Today, the publishing house includes Hanser München, Hanser Berlin, hanserblau, Hanser Kinderbuchverlag, and the traditional Zsolnay Verlag. This structure allows it to bring together a wide range of voices and genres – from fiction and essays to children's and young adult books. In two years, Hanser will celebrate its centenary – a rare milestone in an industry characterized by change.

Sebastian Haffner's “Abschied” (Farewell) – a rediscovery with contemporary relevance

Sebastian Haffner's novel Abschied (Farewell) is of particular interest at the fair. The work was written in 1932, when the author was just 23 years old – a time between two wars, marked by uncertainty and social upheaval. The story of a young German lawyer who visits his lover – a German Jew – in Paris is a quiet yet political document of a generation that senses that the world is changing. Haffner's tone is light, almost cheerful, but in the background the looming catastrophe is already apparent. Today, the text seems like a mirror of the present: a portrait of disorientation in times of upheaval.

T.C. Boyle at Hanser – “No Way Home”: Passion, rivalry, loss of control

Hanser presents T.C. Boyle's new novel, “No Way Home.” At its center is a love triangle: two men, one woman. A doctor and a teacher who secretly wants to be a writer clash with increasing intensity; Bethany is caught between desire, projections, and escalation. Boyle dissects the dynamics of vanity and vulnerability, pushing his characters to the edge of what is reasonable and maintaining a tone that is both bitterly comical and mercilessly precise. In November, Boyle will embark on a major reading tour through German-speaking countries; Ben Becker will lend him his distinctive voice as his German narrator. Stops include Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, and Vienna.

Hanser Verlag remains the voice of literary independence

Whether it's Haffner's early love story or T.C. Boyle's new novel No Way Home, Hanser Verlag shows that sophisticated literature is more than just entertainment. It questions social developments and illuminates human abysses with literary precision. While Haffner's farewell draws attention to a Europe in transition in the 1930s, Boyle dissects the vulnerability of modern relationships and the failure of one's own ideals in No Way Home.