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| Authors join tug-of-war at top German publishing house Suhrkamp Verlag | Authors join tug-of-war at top German publishing house Suhrkamp Verlag |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Literary feuds are usually played out between prickly novelists and sharp-tongued critics, but at a top publisher in Berlin, the most toxic brawl of them all is being fought behind the scenes. | Literary feuds are usually played out between prickly novelists and sharp-tongued critics, but at a top publisher in Berlin, the most toxic brawl of them all is being fought behind the scenes. |
| The Suhrkamp Verlag, whose list includes Bertolt Brecht and Hermann Hesse, philosopher Jürgen Habermas, and novelist Isabel Allende, is being torn apart by a row over money and management. | The Suhrkamp Verlag, whose list includes Bertolt Brecht and Hermann Hesse, philosopher Jürgen Habermas, and novelist Isabel Allende, is being torn apart by a row over money and management. |
| Two rival shareholders are trying to expel each other and asking a court to dissolve their partnership. Suhrkamp's illustrious authors are grappling for ever more exotic metaphors to attack one of the two, minority shareholder Hans Barlach, whom they describe as "a blunt automaton" and "an abyss of evil". | Two rival shareholders are trying to expel each other and asking a court to dissolve their partnership. Suhrkamp's illustrious authors are grappling for ever more exotic metaphors to attack one of the two, minority shareholder Hans Barlach, whom they describe as "a blunt automaton" and "an abyss of evil". |
| At the heart of the conflict lies the question of how a small, independent publisher can prosper in the era of Amazon and Penguin Random House. | At the heart of the conflict lies the question of how a small, independent publisher can prosper in the era of Amazon and Penguin Random House. |
| "A publishing house is different from a screw factory, but they follow the same economic laws. If I make losses, I can't afford to pay advances to authors," said Barlach, an investor who has owned newspapers and a TV magazine. | "A publishing house is different from a screw factory, but they follow the same economic laws. If I make losses, I can't afford to pay advances to authors," said Barlach, an investor who has owned newspapers and a TV magazine. |
| He accuses Suhrkamp's majority shareholder, Ulla Unseld-Berkéwicz, of mismanagement. Her allies, including some of Germany's most influential intellectuals, claim Barlach is only after a quick profit. | He accuses Suhrkamp's majority shareholder, Ulla Unseld-Berkéwicz, of mismanagement. Her allies, including some of Germany's most influential intellectuals, claim Barlach is only after a quick profit. |
| "His aim is to maximise his dividends," Unseld-Berkéwicz told a German newspaper this week. She offered to put the lawsuits on hold and find a compromise, but previous attempts to bridge the rift have failed. | "His aim is to maximise his dividends," Unseld-Berkéwicz told a German newspaper this week. She offered to put the lawsuits on hold and find a compromise, but previous attempts to bridge the rift have failed. |
| Publisher Siegfried Unseld died in 2002 and left his flamboyant widow, Unseld-Berkéwicz, in charge. For years, Suhrkamp alternated between profits and losses, but since 2010 it has turned an operating profit every year, a spokeswoman said. | Publisher Siegfried Unseld died in 2002 and left his flamboyant widow, Unseld-Berkéwicz, in charge. For years, Suhrkamp alternated between profits and losses, but since 2010 it has turned an operating profit every year, a spokeswoman said. |
| Revenues have been boosted by bestsellers such as Allende's Maya's Notebook and Uwe Tellkamp's The Tower. A move from Frankfurt to cheaper Berlin has cut costs. Proceeds from the sale of the literary archive also helped. Suhrkamp declined to provide detailed figures. | Revenues have been boosted by bestsellers such as Allende's Maya's Notebook and Uwe Tellkamp's The Tower. A move from Frankfurt to cheaper Berlin has cut costs. Proceeds from the sale of the literary archive also helped. Suhrkamp declined to provide detailed figures. |
| "The shareholders simply can't agree on how much money you can make with this publisher," a senior source at Suhrkamp said. "And how much money you should make with it." | "The shareholders simply can't agree on how much money you can make with this publisher," a senior source at Suhrkamp said. "And how much money you should make with it." |
| Barlach expects profit margins of 5%-15%, which he says could be achieved by managing Suhrkamp's backlist more efficiently and cutting costs. | Barlach expects profit margins of 5%-15%, which he says could be achieved by managing Suhrkamp's backlist more efficiently and cutting costs. |
| "They tell me that a more than 3% profit margin is not possible," he said. "But this publisher has great potential. You wouldn't need to stop investing in authors, you would just need to manage it more professionally. It's not that hard." | "They tell me that a more than 3% profit margin is not possible," he said. "But this publisher has great potential. You wouldn't need to stop investing in authors, you would just need to manage it more professionally. It's not that hard." |
| Barlach values Suhrkamp at €75m (£62m) – tiny compared with mega-publisher Penguin Random House's $3bn (£1.8bn). But Suhrkamp is revered in Germany not least because of its perceived integrity, an important factor in a country where many intellectuals have been tainted by Nazi links. It also scores highly in literary terms and published three of six books shortlisted for the German book prize last year. | Barlach values Suhrkamp at €75m (£62m) – tiny compared with mega-publisher Penguin Random House's $3bn (£1.8bn). But Suhrkamp is revered in Germany not least because of its perceived integrity, an important factor in a country where many intellectuals have been tainted by Nazi links. It also scores highly in literary terms and published three of six books shortlisted for the German book prize last year. |
| "It's not about quickly printing a book or putting up a digital version. It's about people who are able to think unique thoughts and who even have the talent to write those thoughts down," said Jonathan Landgrebe, a managing director at Suhrkamp. He declined to comment on the dispute. | "It's not about quickly printing a book or putting up a digital version. It's about people who are able to think unique thoughts and who even have the talent to write those thoughts down," said Jonathan Landgrebe, a managing director at Suhrkamp. He declined to comment on the dispute. |
| In December, a Berlin court ordered Unseld-Berkéwicz to pay €300,000 in damages for renting out parts of her villa to Suhrkamp without consulting Barlach. It also ordered Suhrkamp's executives to step down. Unseld-Berkéwicz will appeal against the ruling. As majority shareholder, she could simply appoint a new board anyway. She said this week she wished she had handled the villa deal differently. | In December, a Berlin court ordered Unseld-Berkéwicz to pay €300,000 in damages for renting out parts of her villa to Suhrkamp without consulting Barlach. It also ordered Suhrkamp's executives to step down. Unseld-Berkéwicz will appeal against the ruling. As majority shareholder, she could simply appoint a new board anyway. She said this week she wished she had handled the villa deal differently. |
| Next month, a Frankfurt court will rule on lawsuits from both shareholders asking for the other to be expelled, and from Barlach asking for the partnership to be dissolved. He says this would leave all stakes in Suhrkamp to the highest bidder. | Next month, a Frankfurt court will rule on lawsuits from both shareholders asking for the other to be expelled, and from Barlach asking for the partnership to be dissolved. He says this would leave all stakes in Suhrkamp to the highest bidder. |
| The row has spread anxiety among Suhrkamp's authors. Habermas and other scholars signed an open letter earlier this month calling on the warring parties to make peace. | The row has spread anxiety among Suhrkamp's authors. Habermas and other scholars signed an open letter earlier this month calling on the warring parties to make peace. |
| "We are stunned by the legal procedures that are threatening the existence of an outstanding institution of intellectual life," they wrote, emphasising Suhrcamp's dedication to a scholarly tradition "uncorrupted by national socialism". Habermas did not wish to comment on the letter. | "We are stunned by the legal procedures that are threatening the existence of an outstanding institution of intellectual life," they wrote, emphasising Suhrcamp's dedication to a scholarly tradition "uncorrupted by national socialism". Habermas did not wish to comment on the letter. |
| Other Suhrkamp allies have been less diplomatic. Author Peter Handke has called Barlach "an abyss of evil", fellow writer Rainald Goetz has described him as acting like a "blunt automaton", while former culture minister Michael Naumann said Barlach was to Suhrkamp as a bicycle bell was to a Bach fugue. | Other Suhrkamp allies have been less diplomatic. Author Peter Handke has called Barlach "an abyss of evil", fellow writer Rainald Goetz has described him as acting like a "blunt automaton", while former culture minister Michael Naumann said Barlach was to Suhrkamp as a bicycle bell was to a Bach fugue. |
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