April 2026

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Our latest Autumn programme's key title is called Hibernation, but our last months of winter could hardly have been more busy:

Julia Engelmann's Where the Sky Never Ends is nominated for the ›German Youth Literature Award‹, and is shortlisted as a ›Favourite 2026‹ by the ›Swiss Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association‹ (SBVV).

Our latest releases are causing a stir: Atlantic snapped up Rolf Dobelli's Your Turn, AdN Noir bought Spanish rights for Heaven's Gate by Daniel Fassbender and Meridiaan bagged Dutch rights for Charles Lewinsky's A Different Story.

The press praises Bernhard Schlink's Justiz, Shelly Kupferberg's Hours Like Days and Esther Schüttpelz' Green Wave. 

Our backlist is also very much alive: Benedict Wells' The End of Loneliness is turned into a stage adaptation in Bochum.

Your Diogenes Rights Team,

✉️ Susanne Bauknecht (Rights Director)

✉️ Patrizia Hasler

✉️ Jana Lissek

✉️ Claudia Reinert

✉️ Andrej Ruesch

✉️ Christina Schmidl

PS: If you haven't seen it yet, here is our Autumn programme.

Julia Engelmann’s Where the Sky Never Ends has just been nominated for the independent Young Adult Jury’s ›German Youth Literature Award‹.

Here’s what the jury says: 

»Julia Engelmann achieves to delve deep into the emotional world of young adults with her poetic and at the same time accessible language. Charlie’s story is told with a light touch, yet by no means superficially, and addresses key issues surrounding growing up in a way that is moving and encourages reflection and discussion [...]. Where the Sky Never Ends is a sensitive and timely young adult book which shows how much strength can be found in new encounters and true friendship.«
 
Furthermore, the ›Swiss Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association‹ (SBVV) announced their nominees for their ›Favourite Book of 2026‹ – and Where the Sky Never Ends is one of the five selected books, next to other literary fiction titles.

Foreign Rights sold:

Estonian (Rahva Raamat, new)
Russian (Azbooka)
Slovak (Ikar)
Spanish (Urano)

Atlantic Books has bought English world rights for Rolf Dobelli’s Your Turn. The London-based publisher is Rolf Dobelli’s English language home.

Rights sold to date:

Chinese/CN: China South Booky

Chinese/TW: Business Weekly
English/world: Atlantic

Russian: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber

Your Turn was a #17 Spiegel bestseller and a #3 Swiss bestseller, and 25’000 copies have been sold since January.

Two women who are connected by their interwoven life paths, even after death. In the spotlight: female resistance fighters in Berlin in the Third Reich.

»The blend of historic accuracy and literary storytelling is so seamless that the characters linger in the mind long after the story ends.« 

Andreas Schröter / RuhrNachrichten, Dortmund

»Kupferberg’s book is a moving ode to humanity in inhuman times and the story of two brave women who are connected to each other, even after death.« 

Petra Schulte / emotion, Hamburg 

»Kupferberg’s novel is a homage to a woman who – in a time full of cruelty – doesn't let up to care for others with warmth and charity.«

Tobias Kühn / Jüdische Allgemeine, Berlin

Please find our English sample by Ruth Martin here.

On his 80th birthday, Charles Lewisnky gives us the gift of a masterpiece: his new novel A Different Story – about the mercurial life of the German-Jewish film agent and producer Curt Melnitz. 

»A great late work, which is also about storytelling and remembering.«

Peter Zander / Berliner Morgenpost, Berlin

»A work with the potential to become a success just as big as Melnitz.«

Ellen Presser / Jüdische Allgemeine, Berlin

»Wonderfully told, sophisticated and with a lot of humour.« 

Young-Sim Song / Watson, Zurich

We have just sold Dutch rights to Meridiaan. Please find our English sample by Ruth Martin here.

We are thrilled to share that Poisonous Blossoms, Luca Ventura’s 7th case of his Capri series, is yet another instant bestseller starting at #14 on the Spiegel bestseller list, ranking #4 on the Austrian Bestseller list and #11 on the Swiss Bestseller list.

We are also happy to announce that we struck yet another two-book-deal with the French publisher Livre de Poche. This means that the first five books in the series will be published in Italian (by Giunti) and French.

»A crime thriller where the blue of the sea blends with the darkest depths of human nature.«

Point de vue, Paris

And after the top spot on the ›Best Crime Book‹ list by the German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk Kultur in March, the surf noir is still ranked #5 in April.

»With Caruso, Daniel Fassbender has created a detective who is as likeable as he is self-deprecating.« 

Maria Wiesner / FAZ, Frankfurt 

»With his book, Fassbender establishes the ‘surf noir’ genre.«

Presse am Sonntag, Vienna

»A gritty hard-boiled novel set on sunny beaches – clever, humorous and suspenseful.«

Dresdner Morgenpost

»It’s tone is as brash as the first-person narrator himself, the story compoosed in a casual rhythm. A sequel is urgently required!« 

Hannoversche Allgemeine

Please find our English sample by Alexandra Roesch here.

»The book is incredibly timely.« 

Cornelia Geißler / Berliner Zeitung

»Esther Schüttpelz has masterfully crafted this story, which reads like an inner monologue, so that you simply won’t want to put the book down.« 

Leila Herrmann / Vogue, Munich

»With ease, Schüttpelz manages to shape the material she presents into a form that corresponds to her narrative. This is rare in contemporary literature.« 

Markus Steinmayr / Der Freitag, Berlin

Published in March. Polish rights sold to Pauza. Please find our English sample by Katy Derbyshire here. 

Doris Dörrie wrote and illustrated Tricks – a lovely little gift book  that will draw a smile from everyone.

Dörrie’s advice for difficult times is to act like a cat: sleep and lie around a lot. Stretch a little. Stare down anything evil and obnoxious until it pushes off. Then go back to sleep. Have something to eat, or dream about eating. And don’t forget: show your claws from time to time!

»Doris Dörrie is a master of liberating laughter.« 

Siegfried Schober / Die Zeit, Hamburg

Within the last six weeks, Bernhard Schlink’s Justice remained among the top 20 titles of the Spiegel bestseller list, with its highest rank being #7.

Furthermore, the book made it to #9 on the Non-Fiction List of the Best by Die Literarische Welt, WDR 5, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and ORF Ö1.

»Schlink refuses simple answers, he prefers careful deliberation when it comes to just solutions in politics and everyday life.«

Christian Ruf / Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten

»Bernhard Schlink presents [...] the pointed considerations of a lawyer and author who understands justice not as a rigid system but as an animate moral duty.«

Dresdner Morgenpost

Foreign rights sold:

Dutch (Cossee)

Greek (Kritiki) 

Even though Benedict Wells’ complex novel is not easy to adapt on stage, the play at Schauspielhaus Bochum was well received by the press.

»Life has rarely been portrayed on stage with such empathy and authenticity. The audience at the premiere was deeply moved and gave a long round of applause.«

Achim Lettmann / Westfälischer Anzeiger, Hamm

»What makes this play special is that Clemens and the cast manage to find humour even in this soberingly sad material.«

Klaus Stübler / Ruhr Nachrichten, Dortmund

»Anyone who doesn’t have to wipe a tear from the corner of their eye at least once during this evening’s performance must be emotionally hardened.«

Frank Schorneck / trailer, Bochum

Now published in translation: A Childhood Under the Nazis by Tomi Ungerer in Italy

Orecchio Acerbo, Rome.

Rights sold:
French (L'École des Loisirs)
Italian (Orecchio Acerbo)
Russian (Éditions Tourgueneff, Paris)