Foreign Rights Catalogue 2022/23

Foreign Rights

HydreÉditionsisasmallbilingualpublishinghouse fromLuxembourg,namedaftertheHydraofLerna,the many-headedwatersnakefromGreekmythology.Since itsfoundationin2012,HydrehaspublishedliteraryfictioninGermanandFrench.

Recently,itsprogrammehasfocusedonnovels,plays, novellasandshortstorycollections,withpublicationsby bothconfirmedwritersandanemerginggenerationof Luxembourgianauthors.

TheBalladofLucyJordan

Céruse

TheMutations

Commuter

TheBubbles

MyLifeinTents

Sabotage

BUG:010000100101010101000111

FallingfromVariousHeights

TheWarofTime

TheBalladofLucyJordan TULLIO FORGIARINI

A67-year-oldwomandecidestoleavehertraditionallife behindherandgoonaroadtriptoParistoindulgeinallthe pleasuresshehasbeendeniedsofar.

LucyJordan,awomanofsixty-sevenyearsandCatholic education,keepstakingasidehermysteriousinterlocutortotellhimaboutherrecenttransformation.After havingoneofherheartvalvesreplacedwiththatofapig, sheresolved,asifthepighadtakenthedecisionforher,to quiteverything–herhusband,herhouse,herdullbourgeoislife–anddrivetoParis,whereshemetalliesandexperiencedsensationsshehadn’tthoughtshewasstill capableofexperiencing.Only,todoso,sheneededadrivinglicense,acarandsomemoney.Inalively,rhythmic andimmersivestyle,TullioForgiariniletsushearthe voiceofanordinarywomanwhodecidesshehashad enough.

AL BALLADE DE LUCIENNEJOURDAIN LA BALLADEDE LUCIENNEJOURDAIN LUCIENNE TullioForgiarini

HYDREÉDITIONS

Originaltitle: LaBalladedeLucienneJourdain Language:French Genre:novel Year:2015 128pp.,140×215mm,13€ ISBN:978-99959-938-1-8

Rightsavailable:worldwide Rightssold: Greece(WorldBooks)

Allofthisisthepig’sfault!I’msureofitnow.Atfirst, Ididn’tmaketheconnection,Ireallywasn’tinthe moodtodoso,butwithallthat’sbeengoingon theselastfewdays,I’vethoughtaboutitalotandIdon’t seeanyotherexplanation.No,don’tsayanything!I’mnot interestedinyouropiniononthismatter.Anymore.Not interestedanymore.Here’swhatIthink:fromthetime Jesusalloweddemonstoenterpigs,they’vestayed.And I’vecaughtonemyself,oratleastpartofone,duringthe operation.It’sbeentwoyearsnow,exactlyoneweekbeforemysixty-fifthbirthday.Youdon’thaveachoice:you willlistentomeandyouwilllistencarefully.Afterall, that’syourreasonforbeinghere,andthisaffairwiththe pigisofyourconcerntoo.

EXCERPT

©PittSimon

TullioForgiariniwasborninLuxembourgin1966toan ItalianfatherandaLuxembourgianmother.Hewrites noirfiction,mostlyinFrench. Amok,hisfirstnovelinLuxembourgish,wasawardedtheEuropeanUnionPrizefor Literature,translatedintoseveralmajorlanguagesand adaptedforthescreenas Baby(a)lone.

Céruse TULLIO FORGIARINI

Céruse isathrilleraboutaghostwritertaskedwith completingthememoirsofadyingmagnateasthelines betweenwritingandrealitybecomeblurred.

NinoBianchiisawriterofrelativetalentandsuccesswho, followinglegalproblemsthatcosthimhisteachingjob,is forcedtosellhisservicesasaghostwritertocelebrities whowanttowritetheirmemoirs.Oneofthem,old Céruse,awealthybusinessman,hasbuilthisempireon brutalityandfear.IninterviewswithBianchi,Céruse omitsnosordiddetail,asifbeingrememberedasthearchetypalbastardwerehisultimategoal.Thatsuchabook couldseethelightofdayisnottoeveryone'sliking.Bianchireceivesvisitsfromstrangeindividuals.Allofthem invitehimtothinkabouttheconsequencesofwhatheis writing.ThefurtherheadvancesinCéruse’slife,the morehefeelshisownlifeslippingawayfromhim.The characters’contoursbecomeblurred,thechronologyis dilutedand,intheend,Bianchifindsithardtotellthe differencebetweenwhatisandwhatiswritten.

Originaltitle: Céruse Language:French Genre:novel Year:2020 188pp.,140×215mm,16€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-6-2

Rightsavailable:worldwide

HYDREÉDITIONS

TULLI O FORGIARINI

I’vebeenmeetingwithCérusefortwoweeks.Ihaveno choice.SinceIlostmyteachingjob,I’mforcedtolive offmywriting.AndwhatIusuallywrite–novels, plays– hasneverearnedmuch.SoI’vestartedwritingfor otherpeople.Thatformerracingcyclist,forinstance.A champion.HeneverquitewontheTourdeFrance,butalmost.Acharmingguy.Thepublisherwantedatasteful book,fullofphotos.With‘snappy,vibrant’prose.Iwrote thetext,wonderingwhathemeantby‘vibrant’.SoIdescribedthedarklightinthedepthsofhiseyes,thesad smileconveyingtheuselessbeautyofafeatthathe couldn’thelpbutperform;Isawinhimasacrificialbeast burningontheGalibierslopessothathemightsharea momentofsublimitywithuspowerlessspectators;I comparedhimtoSisyphus,and,quotingCamus,Iended bysayingthatonemustimaginehimhappy.

Idelivereditbythedeadline,andtheracingcyclistand thepublisherwerebothverysatisfied.Iwasproperly paid,andthebookwasagreatsuccess.Mynameappearednowhere.Ihadseveralmorecommissionsofthis sort.Then,twoweeksago,therewasCéruse.Duringour firstmeeting,hetoldmethathewasonthevergeofdying frompancreaticcancer.Hetoldmethathewantedto publishveryquickly.AndsoI’dhavetothrowmyselfinto it.Notasktoomanyquestions,justthrowmyselfintoit. And,ofcourse,Iwouldbeextremelywellpaid.

Iaccepted.Themoneyhasbeenpouringinsinceday one.Animpressivesum.Inexchange,I’vehadtolistento horrors.I’verecordedthem,I’verelistenedtothemseveraltimes,andI’veturnedthemintotextthatis‘hardhittingandin-your-face’,asherequested.Notimefora fullbiography,hesaid.Justafewshortchapters.His greatesthits,sotospeak.Hard-hittingandin-your-face. GreatestHits:InfamyEdition.IdidwhatIwastold.Apart fromsomelogisticaldetails,I’veaskednoquestions.So whatifMaximilienCérusewantstocementhisstatusas anabsolutebastard?Notmyproblem.

TranslatedfromtheFrenchbyAnnaLeader

EXCERPT

TheMutations FRANCIS KIRPS

TheMutations:sevenstoriesandapoem,eachwitha classictextasatemplateandstartingpoint,from LittleRed RidingHood toVirginiaWoolf.

ThehouseflyLeonSumsawakesuponemorningand findsitselftransformedintoa‘monstrousvertebrate’, thatis,ahumanbeing.ThelionfromKurtTucholsky’s satire‘DerLöwistlos!’(TheLionIsLoose!)mutatesintoa polarbearexploringhipBerlin.ThemodeloftheVenus statuefromProsperMérimée’stale‘LaVénusd’Ille’(The VenusofIlle)worksasayoungslaveina‘venture’that showsamazingparallelstotoday’sworkingworld.HeinrichvonKleist’s‘DieAnekdoteausdemletztenpreußischenKriege’(TheAnecdotefromtheLastPrussianWar) ismovedtothefuture,wherethelastfourpeopleareat warwitheachother.IngeborgBachmann’s‘Anrufungdes großenBären’(InvocationoftheGreatBear)iscrossed withLovecraft’sCthulhuMythosandtheresultisapoem thatstrangelysoundslikeGottfriedBenn.

PrixServais2020 EuropeanUnionPrizeforLiterature2020

Originaltitle:

DieMutationen Language:German Genre:shortstories Year:2019 220pp.,110×187mm,20€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-3-1

Rightsavailable:worldwide Foreignsales: Albania(Dituria)

Greece(Vakxikon)

Hungary(Colibri)

Macedonia(Antolog)

Serbia(TrećiTrg)

FrancisKirps

HYDREÉDITIONS

ItwasOpenHouseattheBerlinZooandthatdayofall days–maybeitwasthefaultofthecelebratoryjoint whichZookeeperPfleidererhadsharedwithHerr ÖzgüntürkfromthePredatorHouseandFrauSüskind fromadministration–thezookeeperforgottolockthe doorofthepolarbear’scageafterhim.Which,inturn, RoaldBjörnsson,thelongest-servingpolarbear,tookas aninvitationtominglewiththepeopleoutside.Maybeit wasevenexpectedofhim.Andallthosecolourfulballoons!

Björnssonsteppedoutside.NosignofPfleiderer.Instead,thevisitorsimmediatelybrokeintoamightyuproar.Thecrowdshoutedandranaroundeverywhere. Childrensquealed,womenscreamed,menwept–itwas asiftheBeatleshadjustgotofftheplane.

TranslatedfromtheGermanbyGerardChapple

EXCERPT

FrancisKirpslivesandworksinLintgen(Luxembourg). Hefirststartedpublishingintheninetiesbeforejoining theGermanpoetryslamcircuitandeditingthesatirical magazine EXOT.Sincethen,hehaspublishedtwoshort storycollectionsandanovelandnumeroustextsinanthologies.Heisalsoaregularcontributortothesatire pageof dietageszeitung

©PhilippeMatsas

Commuter JEAN PORTANTE

Commuter isadenseandpoeticinteriormonologuethat superimposesthestoriesofcommuters,migrantsand refugees.

Thestory takesplaceinthemindofanimaginarycommuterwho,likehisItalianimmigrantfatherbeforehim, crossestheborderbetweenLorraineandLuxembourgon adailybasis.Caughtintheinevitabletrafficjamonthe motorwayleadingnorth,thesonstartsdreaming.Heis swayedbymemoriesandthoughtsrelatedtohisfather andmotherandtomigrationandbordersingeneral. Whilemythologyisneverfaraway,thetextweavesa spider’swebinwhicheachthreadintertwinestemporal andspatiallayerstocreateaworldwherethefamilyhistoryofcrossingtheAlpsjoinsthetragedyofthelong caravansofrefugees. Commuter thusbecomesadesperate cryagainstthewallsthatarerisingeverywheretoday.

Originaltitle: Frontalier Language:French Genre:play/poetry

Year:2021 88pp.,140×215mm,12€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-7-9

Rightsavailable:worldwide

JeanPortantewasborntoItalianparentsinDifferdange in1953andlivesinParis.Hisworkcomprisesaround fortybooks–poetry,novels,essays,plays–andhasbeen translatedfrequently.Hereceived,amongothers,the FrenchPrixMallarméandtheLuxembourgianPrixBatty Weberforhislifetimeachievement.

HYDREÉDITIONS

JEA N PORTANTE

©LaurenceBarataud

Ireadsomewherethatinordertogrowagardenyou musthaveapieceoflandandeternity/andinorderto buildacemetery/Ididn’treadthatanywhere/you musthaveapieceoftheMediterraneanandashipwreck /andfear/andhunger/andfingernailspulledout/Sir/ andyoumusthaveseenitwithyourowneyes/andinordertobecomeacommuteryouhavetolightandthenextinguishablastfurnace/whenthesmokenolonger speaksintheclouds/andwhenthedustnolongerdescendsonthecity/thejourneystartsagain/wetakethe handthatnooneisoffering/isitcalloused/hasitheld thestockofarifle/orashovelorapickaxe/isitthrowing abottleintothesea/whowillcatchitontheotherside/ therearesomanybodiestobefishedoutSir…

Theshovelandpickaxearenowinmygrandfather’s hands/mygrandfather’shandsareunderground/they rarelyseethedaylight/theyhavedirtundertheirfingernails/theycamefromfaraway/theycamefromthesun /fromthefigtree/andnowthey’reintheshadows/they pulloutblocksoforefromtherock/therearenoborders undertheearth/wediglikemoles/arewestillonthis sideoralreadyontheother/andwherearethehands whentheblockcrushesthem/that’showmystorybegan /withcrushedhandsandbodyunderarock/mygrandfathersleepsinanundergroundtunnel/inaminein Differdange/itcouldhavebeeninHayange/ange(l)sange(l)s/mystorybeginswithacrushedbody/Iwasn’t bornyet/Sir…

Todaythemineisclosed/theshovelsandpickaxesare sleeping/inDifferdangeandHayange/ange(l)sange(l)s/ storedinshedsthatnolongerexist/andmygrandfather sleepsundertherock/isitbetterthansleepingunderwater/tellmeAylan/isitbettertosleepundertherockthan underwater…

EXCERPT

TheBubbles

TOM REISEN

TheBubbles examinesexistencesandexistentialcrisesina metropolis.Itscharactersappeartohavemadeit,yettheir cocoonedlivesareaboutthebeshaken.

Ninestories,ninecharactersevolvinginthesamecity: NewYork.Eachofthemliveintheirownbubblethatnurturesbothalieandframesasolitude.Untilthedayan event–atragicaccidentoratrivialencounter–breaksit apart.Theseninedestinies,seenatafatefulthresholdof theirexistence,mergewiththesuperlativeandsuperficialcity.Ironically,thisquestfortruthdescribesacircular movementaroundafleetingcentreuntil,towardtheend ofthebook,thephotogenicNewYorkrevealsitsessentiallyimaginarynature:thementalrepresentationofa necessarilydisappointingdesire.

LëtzebuergerBuchpräis2019

HYDREÉDITIONS

Originaltitle: LesBulles Language:French Genre:shortstories Year:2018

100pp.,110×187mm,12€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-1-7

Rightsavailable:worldwide Rightssold: Greece(WorldBooks)

TomReisen

ItwasasifIwerediscoveringtheworldforthefirst time,Imeantheimmensityoftheworld,themajesty oftheworldtransformedbyman,hisabundanceand power.Thereweretheseaandsky,equallyvast,equally blue,suspendedbridges,aforestofskyscrapersthe namesofwhichIdidn’tknowatthetimeandwhichreflectedthegoldenlightofacloudlessazure.Whatcrowds werewalkingalongtheboulevardsofthiscityofgiants?

EXCERPT

©RayaMeerzoumen

TomReisenwasborninLuxembourgin1971.Hisfatheris aLuxembourgerandhismotherisofSerbiandescent.He haspublishedtwocollectionsofpoetryandseveralshort stories.AuthorofaPhDthesisonAndréGide,hewasa universityresearcher(UniversityofSheffield),thena journalist(Tageblatt)beforejoiningForeignAffairs.Asa diplomat,heservedattheUNheadquartersinNewYork andatUNESCOinParis,amongotherplaces. TheBubbles ishisfirstprosework.

MyLifeinTents

JEFF SCHINKER

MyLifeinTents combinesautobiography,dystopiaand musicfestivalanecdotesinarambunctioustalethatisat timeshilariousandattimesheart-wrenching.

A(nolongerso)youngmanwhosepastoverlapsinpart withtheauthor’swithdrawsfromaworldonthevergeof collapsetoliveintheforest.Inthesummer,hegoesback outtotourthemusicfestivalsthatmarkedhisyouth. Backinhistent,whosewallshegraduallycoverswitha finaltext,herecallshisfestivallife,markedbyafirstlove withatraumaticoutcome,theacquaintancesthatwere madeandthewildodysseysofacircleoffriendswho,out ofapassionformusicandadesiretohaveone’ssensesderanged,wandertheroadsofEuropetonaivelyseek refugefromadriftingworld.

Originaltitle: Maviesouslestentes Language:French Genre:novel Year:2021 312pp.,140×215mm,22€ ISBN:978-99987-883-0-5

Rightsavailable:worldwide

©PhilippeMatsas

JeffSchinker,bornin1985,isawriterandtheheadofthe culturalpagesofthedailynewspaper Tageblatt.Healso organizesaseriesofreadingswithformalconstraints.His debutnovella Retrouvailles waspublishedbyHydreÉditionsin2015.Hisnextbook, Sabotage –aworkinfourlanguages–wasnominatedforthePrixServais,theLëtzebuergerBuchpräisandtheEuropeanUnionPrizeforLiterature.

JEFFSCHINKER

‘I’mtoooldtosleepintents.’

Tianawasholdingaplasticmalletwhich,atfirst sight,onecouldtaketobeoneofthoselife-sizetoys thatallowchildrentothinkthey’realreadyadults(poor them)andthetoycompaniestofilltheirpockets,but which,inreality(I’mwell-versedinthesematters),are usedtodriveintotheearth,whetheritislooseandnot veryresistantoronthecontrarydryandfiendishlyrecalcitrant,thestakesthatwillensurethestabilityofyour tent.Ornot.

Thismallet,shesometimestwirleditintheair,sometimesswungitfromonehandtotheother,expressing herwearinessofbeingthere,underaforestofbirches, watchingmeonceagainunroll,undermyexpertairs,the varioustarpsandcanvasesandstakesandotherpieces whosefutureuseseemedobscuretome,thesepieces lookingmeupanddownalmostasiftomockmylackof expertiseinthematterortoconfirmthattheyhadbeen insidiouslyslippedinamongtheassemblymaterialsin ordertotauntthetent’sownertosucceedinseparating thewheatfromthechaff,thetruefromthefalse,theusefulfromthecumbersome,causingmanyfitsofrageand madnessonmanyacampsite,inmanyaforestoron manyafestivalground.

Liketheonewewereonatthismoment.TheEditors hadjustplayedthesyntheticarpeggiosof‘NoHarm’ (‘thereyougo,withyourstupidtent,wejustmissed them,welldone’)while3,973metersawayfromTom Smithwigglingonstage,aswarmofthirstymosquitoes wasdancingaroundme,whowaschasingthemwithmy lefthand,holdingmyrighthandinfrontofmetoavoid beingblindedbythesunrayspiercingthetrees’foliageto spread–ah,thevanityofnature–aplayoflightand shadowthattrulyimpressedone,exceptwhen,likeme, oneisverysensitivetoluminosity,oneconstantlyforgets one’ssunglassesand,inthiscase,onecouldseenothing oralmostnothing,anorangeglowwhenclosingone’s eyes,prettydancingspotswhenreopeningthem,which didnothelptoseeclearly,formountingthistent.

EXCERPT

Sabotage JEFF SCHINKER

Inthesefourtalesaboutbrokenheartsandbodies,sixteen narratorsquestiontheineptmadnessoftheworldofwork.

Acompanydecidestoorganiseafiendish,Darwinianversionofateambuildinggame.Atthejobcentre,theidentitiesoftheunemployed,fraudsters,artistsandemployeesdissolveintoanebulawhererealityandfictionareintertwined.Abookprizeiscreatingchaosandhopesinthe Luxembourgishliteraryscene,whichisbeingcloselyexaminedbyarealityshow.AliterarycentreontheWannseeistakenoverbyanunscrupulousbankerforhisbirthdayparty,inthecourseofwhichtwoworldviewscollide. Inthesefourtalesaroundbrokenheartsandbodies,sixteennarratorsquestiontheineptmadnessoftheworldof work,whilesometimesquestioninglanguageitself.They sabotagetheirlivesorthelivesofothersandgothrough episodesinwhicheveryonediscoversanimpostor.

HYDREÉDITIONS

Originaltitle:

Sabotage

Language:English,French, German,Luxembourgish Genre:shortstories/novel Year:2018

272pp.,110×187mm,22€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-2-4

Rightsavailable:worldwide Rightssold: Hungary(Colibri)

Je ff Schinker

Abunchofofficeworkersglidesintotheroom–the workingclassmutatedintocitizens,afewrungs higheronthesalaryladder,butjustasbitter,humiliated,desireless,oppressed,easytomanipulate.I don’tbothertointernalizetheirfeaturesevenminimally.

Yes,that’sbadtaste.Excuseme.ButIlikeit,badtaste.Life, ingeneral,isprettydistasteful,isn’tit?

Andhe’dinevitablybeblockedbythissamedissatisfactionwithallkindsofwords,byhisdisgustintheirtendencytotheuniversal,onewordforthousandsofvarieties andnuancesofemotions,oneexpressiontofeedhumanity.Wordsweredancinggigoloswho’dadapttoevery possiblesituation.Hewasdonewiththem.

Bytheentrance,themusicianswherestillarguing, franticallyattimes.Aroundthem,notmuchcouldberecognized,thelightingwassominimal,asifonewereina fictioninwhichtheauthorcouldn’tbebotheredwith lengthydescriptions.

EXCERPT

CLAIRE SCHMARTZ

In BUG,thecommunicationbetweenmanandmachine breaksdowntorevealtheflawsofhumanpsychology.

TheProfessoreisatopresearcher.Herlatestprojectisthe intelligentrobotBUD,withwhoseprototypeshehasjust movedintoanewapartmentfortestingpurposes.Under thegazeofhercolleaguesattheHouseofMachines,the protagonistworkstirelesslytoputthefinishingtouches onBUD’sprogram.Shewantstherobottobeperfect,her masterpiece.Butsomethingiswrongwithitsalgorithms; thereisabug.BUDmakesinexplicablemistakes,which hismistresstriestocorrectwithevermoredrasticmeasures.Betweenlimitlesspossibilitiesandtheconfined spaceofanapartment,betweenperfectionismandparanoia,sheislosingcontrol...

Originaltitle: BUG. 010000100101010101000111

Language:German Genre:novel Year:2022 192pp.,140×215mm,17€ ISBN:978-99987-883-4-3

Rightsavailable:worldwide

ClaireSchmartz,borninLuxembourgin1992,livesand worksinBerlinasaliterarytranslatorandfreelance journalist.HerliterarytextshavebeenawardedtheConcourslittérairenationalandappearedinthe Cahiersluxembourgeois.In2020,shewasafellowoftheGeorgesArthurGoldschmidtProgramforYoungLiteraryTranslators. BUG isherfirstnovel.

TheProfessore’srobotwasamasterpiece!Hehada finefacewithgentlefeatures,amaskmadeofsiliconewithlargeeyesandasmallmouthpaintedon it,astubnose,andsofthandsasifmadeofhumanskin. Hecouldmovewithhistwolegs,whichgreatlyextended hisrange,buthecouldalsorollalongthefloor,sohis quietnessrecommendedhimespeciallyforeverydayuse andhomeuse.Heunderstoodwhatwassaidaroundhim andcouldfollowcommandsuptocomplexitylevelC2; hehadanactivevocabularyoftwothousandwordsrelatingtothehouseholdandeverydaytopicsandexcelledat talkingabouttheweatherbasedonclouds,airpressure, andwindconditions.Heremindedoneofarrangements, birthdays,andresolutions,doctor’sappointments,and implementedgeneraladviceonbalancedlifehygiene.He storedhabits:hebroughtcoffeetobedandintheevening atoothbrush,eveniftheProfessoreoccasionallywanted toforgetit.Hecouldmakesuggestions:films,music, events,purchasesthatmatchedhisowner’scontinuously determinedtastes.Hetriedoutnewrecipes.Inshort,he wastheperfectcompanion.Attentivebutenigmatic, beautifulandkindtolookatwithhisbigeyes,practical andsosmallthathecouldbeusedanywhere!BUD reachedthefarthestshelvesinthekitchen,tidiedand sweptandcleaned,foldedbacktheedgesofthecarpet andorderedfreshcutflowers.

EXCERPT

FallingfromVariousHeights

ELISE SCHMIT

Fortheprotagonistsin FallingfromVariousHeights, everythingrevolvesaroundthequestionofhowlifewill continuefollowingdecisiveupheavals.

Watchingfromthekitchenwindowhowtouristsplunge totheirdeaths,drivingaimlesslythroughallofGermany outoflovesicknessuntilthemoneyrunsout,repairinga radiobecausedevicesareeasiertomendthanabroken existence:thecharactersinEliseSchmit’sshortstorycollection FallingfromVariousHeights havehadtocometo termswithlifeafterthegreatpersonalcatastrophe. Whethertheyfallfromrocksorinlove–intheend everythingresolvesaroundthequestionofhowlivewill continueafterthedecisiveupheavals.

PrixServais2019

HYDREÉDITIONS

Originaltitle: Stürzeausunterschiedlichen Fallhöhen Language:German Genre:shortstories Year:2018 114pp.,110×187mm,15€ ISBN:978-2-9199541-0-0

Rightsavailable:worldwide Rightssold: Greece(WorldBooks)

If‘we’hadmettwoyearsago,hesaid,‘we’wouldnot havehadsuchapleasantconversation.Icertainly wouldn’thavetalkedtohim.WhatwastheideaofaccusingmeofprejudicesthatIhadlongsincediscarded,I thought.Nowork,nofriends,noMarcia.Waves,saltwater,everdeepertowherenomorelightpenetrates, seabed,afewlayersofsandanddirt,then,eventually,me. ThatishowfarIhadsunk.IttookmemonthstounderstandthatIcouldnothideinahousethatwouldsoonno longerbemine.

EXCERPT

©BorisLoder

EliseSchmit(1982)wasbornandraisedinLuxembourg. SheholdsadegreeinGermanStudieswithPhilosophy fromtheUniversityofTübingen.Aftertwoextended staysinTübingenandashorterstintinParis,shereturnedtoLuxembourgin2012whereshehasbeenliving andworkingsince.Herwritingshavebeenhonoured withseveralawardsinLuxembourg. FallingfromVarious Heights isherfirstcollectionofshortstoriestobepublished.

TheWarofTime JEAN SORRENTE

ThisnovelexaminesthehistoryofaBelgianfamilyfromthe EastCantons,temptedanddestroyedbyNazism,overa periodofseventyyears.

RevisitingvariousplacesfromParistoBerlinviaMalmedy,LiègeandSalonica,movingbetweendifferenteras fromthe1930stothethelate1990slikescenesfromthe theatreofmemory, TheWarofTime describestheseductionthatanideologycanexertandtracksdownitssurvivalandextensioninotherforms.

La Guerre du temps

Originaltitle: LaGuerredutemps Language:French Genre:novel Year:2020 476pp.,140×215mm,24€ ISBN:978-2-91-995415-5

Rightsavailable:worldwide

JeanSorrente(born1954,Luxembourg)isanovelist,poet andessayistwhoquestionstherelationshipbetween realityandfictionandprobesnarrativestructures.Forhis fiction,hehasbeenawardedthePrixTony-Bourg,the PrixdelaLibreAcadémiedeBelgiqueaswellasthePrix Servais.

JEA N SORRENTE

HYDREÉDITIONS

©PhilippeMatsas

JJustlikewar,interruptedmeMorel,impatienttoadd hisgrainofsalt,isn’tthattalkingaboutwhatyou haven’texperienced?–It’snotaboutnothavinglived it,it’smoreabouttransposing,translating,analysingit, examininghowyoufeelaboutthisheritage.Heritage.I thoughtofAlphonse’senlistment,hehadvolunteered, abouthischoices,whichwerefarfrominnocent.Thesabotageoperationsmusthavebeendeadlyand,withouta doubt,thefightagainstpartisanshadalsotargetedJews. Hehadbecomearadiooperator,eventually,sendingand receivingmessages,orders,decryptingthem.Thishad notquelledthestrongallegationswhichsawhiminvolvedinthekillings.Suchadoubtpersisted.Thatwas whatmyheritageamountedto,whatispompouslycalled thedutytoremember.IspokeabouthowAuréliehadalso triedtofindout,howshehaddugupthepast,metwitnesses,foundaformerservicemanfromtheAbwehr.He waslivingpeaceably,surprise,surprise,astone’sthrow fromPomone.HehadknownAlphonse,hadbeensentto Paris,likehim,buttheirpathshadseparated,hehadgone toNorthAfrica.HedescribedAlphonseasanaffable,generousman,incapableofdoingtheslightestharm.He comfortedAurélieinherbiasandconfirmedallshe wantedtohear:herfatherhadbeenagoodman.Thence, theformerAbwehrmanhadbeendeemedawitness worthyoftrust.Alifebuiltonsuchobliviousdenial!One hadtorefutethissortofirenicism.Noonecoulddoubt thefatereservedtoJews,nobodycouldignorethat armieshadlentahandintheirpersecution.So,whatwas thetaskathand?BeingHistory’saccountantwasthetask. Levelwithitall,andsee.

EXCERPT

Larvae NORA WAGENER

Sixteenshortstoriesdifferentinstyle,formandcontent,yet allofthemfeaturecharacterswhofindthemselvesin differentstagesofmetamorphosis.

Jealoussisters,abandonedchildren,washed-upcouples andadeadgoldfish.NoraWagener’scharactersareinan in-betweenstate,intheprocessofbecoming.Thetitleof hercollection, Larvae,alreadyhintsatthis.Hercharactersallliveinaworldatthecentreofwhichliesflawedinterpersonalcommunicationanditsperfidies.

LARVEN LARVEN

HYDREÉDITIONS

Originaltitle: Larven Language:German Genre:shortstories Year:2016 160pp.,110×187mm,15€ ISBN:978-99959-938-3-2

Rightsavailable:worldwide Rightssold: Serbia(KarposBooks)

NoraWagener

Itwastherightshoe.Itpinched.Ihavetostartearlier. WithLeonie.Itwashershoe.Oneday,Leoniewalked throughthesnow.Ithinkitwaswinter.Oritmight havebeenrainandautumn.Inanycase,particleswere fallingfromthesky,fallingonherhairandglitteringunderthelightofthelampwhereIstoodwhenshepassed me.Icouldseehowafflictionwasapproachingher,becauseshekeptrunningtowardsitwithherhikingboots on.InthemeanwhileIstoodunderneathlightbulbs changingcaps,becausesnowandrainweregetting throughandchillingthebaldspotsonmyhead.Thus, weeksandweatherfrontspassedusby–withnorelief.

EXCERPT

NoraWagener,bornin1989,studiedCreativeWriting andJournalismattheUniversityofHildesheim.Shepublishedherfirstnovel, MenschenliebeundVogel,schrei,in 2011,andacollectionofthreestories, E.Galaxien,in2015. In2012,shereceivedtheManfred-Maurer-Literaturpreis aswelltheHans-Bernhard-Schiffspecialprizeandwon theConcourslittérairenationalforashortstorylater publishedinthecollection Larvae

©PhilippeMatsas

Forforeignrightsenquiries, pleasecontact:

StefanieDrewsAgency stefanie.drews@orange.fr +33689332176 3,ruePlumet 75015Paris France

©2022HydreÉditions

Withthanksto

Kultur|LXArtsCouncilLuxembourg

EuropeanUnionPrizeforLiterature/CreativeEurope fortranslationsandtranslationfunding.

HYDREÉDITIONS

Luxembourg info@hydreditions.eu https://hydredition.eu