- Kitab-Verlag
Kitab-Verlag is a
publishing house inKlagenfurt ,Austria . It primarily focuses on books about the history of the culture of thenear east and on modernliterature fromAustria ,Slovenia , andItaly . “Kitab” is the Arabic word for “book” and "Verlag" is German for "publishing house".Objective
The Kitab-Verlag was founded in
1999 byWilhelm Baum andRobert Gutounig , who had the intention of publishing books, that should contribute to the understanding that the human race should be taken in its entirety and that it has a common cultural legacy that ought to be preserved. At the same time, it should be possible for the voices of smaller intellectual groups, often defined as local minorities, to find a broader reception. Another key objective for the publisher is therefore to keep alive critical voices of the “underground history of revolutions” (Bloch). System analysis and critique are part of this approach, as well as the promotion of authors, who have continuously sought to transcend national, cultural and religious boundaries. The series “Tangenten ” was specifically introduced to promote such “border crossers” between cultures and nations.The publisher’s other major objective is the promotion of important cultural and literary texts from other world cultures, such as those of Asian,
Africa n orLatin America n origin. After Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who said that “everything great is either translated or ought to be translated”, the publisher strives to make valuable contributions to world culture, which have in the past been overlooked by the more established publishers. Repressed humanist efforts should be made visible as well as delayed impulses of the enlightenment. Contemporary authors, who have dedicated themselves to cross-cultural communication, or who are prepared to follow new directions, should also be able to express themselves. During a time of globalisation and international cross-linkage, the Kitab-Verlag seeks to establish contacts with non-German publishers and publishes texts in other languages, which, according to the publisher, should be available world-wide. It is a particular concern for the publisher to tighten links between European and Oriental cultures.The publisher’s name should remind Europe of its Oriental legacy. The Kitab-Verlag has always shown a sympathetic ear towards voices concerned with the dialogue between world cultures and discourses about current conflicts. The publisher desires an open discussion with its readers and is always open to receive new authors with new ideas. As a publisher located at the melting point of Germanic, Slavic and Romanesque cultures, the Kitab-Verlag expressly seeks to present the literature of the “other”.
Works
The publisher’s repertoire includes established
Slovenia n authors, such asŽarko Petan andBoris Pahor . In her stories,Viktorija Kocman , a Serbian-Slovenian author, reflects on the experiences of South-Slavs, who have settled in Austria. A German translation of the poems and essays of the Slovenian poetEdvard Kocbek (with an essay ofAlojz Rebula ) should provide valuable insights into the significance of theChristian poet, who was a member of Tito’s partisan army, but who also distanced himself from the atrocities of the Communist massacres and was banned from writing. In her radio plays,Barbara Frischmuth tells of her encounters with Turk culture. The Chechen-German edition of poems by the emigrated Chechen poetApti Bisultanov was an act of solidarity with the Chechen people with regard to the genocide and the USA and Europe turning a blind eye onVladimir Putin ’s policies.Austria’s critical “
Heimatliteratur ” encompasses the “miniatures” byEngelbert Obernosterer , a system critique byIngram Hartinger ,Wolfgang Pollanz andGünther Freitag , songs byChanson -singerBarbara Stromberger , as well as essays about the work of Josef Winkler. The well-known authorBernhard Hütteneger published his childhood memories and a travel book aboutIceland . The “Jahrbuch für Literatur Elf ” was an attempt to position new authors, such asOlga Flor . With “Ausgegraben” the publisher sought to unearth forgotten authors, such asMax Hölzer , one of the few Austrian Surrealists. The well-known medievalistPeter Dinzelbacher published the voluminous work “Mentalität und Religiosität des Mittelalters ” as part of the publisher’s science programme. The fate of the Christian minorities in the far East should be brought to light, especially now that the EU is conducting membership talks with Turkey. Related to this is the publisher’s presentation of relations between ChristianEthiopia and theMuslim and European worlds.The English translation of the history of the “
Apostolische Kirche des Ostens ” byWilhelm Baum andDietmar Winkler has already been published byRoutledge Curzon Press inLondon , and the English translation of Baum’s biography of the Christian queenShirin ofPersia (+628) was published byGorgias Press inNew Jersey , USA (Shirin. Christian – Queen – Myth of love). The Italian translation of Baum’s book “Die Grafen von Görz in der europäischen Politik des Mittelalters ” (2nd edition) was published inGorizia , Italy. The extensive volume “Kunstwerke sind Stationen auf dem Passionsweg zu einem verlorenen Paradies ” was published to support the interdisciplinary discourse between art, literature andpolitics . Letters and documents about the “Nötscher Kreis ” (582 pgs and XLVIII boards), which illustrate the works of the paintersSebastian Isepp ,Anton Kolig ,Franz Wiegele andAnton Mahringer and their encounters withEgon Schiele ,Oskar Kokoschka ,Anton Faistauer ,Alfred Kubin ,Hugo van Hoffmannsthal ,Stefan Zweig ,Michael Guttenbrunner andMaria Lassnig , also describe the painters’ confrontation with national-socialism and their discourse with the intellectual climate of the time (1st and 2nd edition 2004). The Kitab-Verlag considers the discourse between cultures and the critical confrontation with tribalistic historicism as its ongoing objective.External links
* [http://www.kitab-verlag.com Official site]
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