InterKontinental, which runs a bookshop exclusively stocked with African and Afro-diasporic literature in Berlin (pictured above), has obviously responded to the difficulties of writers of African descent finding publishers for their work in Germany or of their work being translated into German/Photo: InterKontinental

New publisher of African books opens for business in Berlin

InterKontinental, the Berlin-based literary agency and association for the promotion of African and Afro-diasporic literature, has announced the founding of its own publishing house.

InterKontinental, which runs a bookshop exclusively stocked with African and Afro-diasporic literature in Berlin, has obviously responded to the difficulties of writers of African descent finding publishers for their work in Germany or German translators for their work.

Since the establishment of InterKontinental in 2017, it has dedicated itself to disseminating and making visible African and Afro-diasporic literature in the German-speaking world.

The literary agency also organises the annual African Book Festival Berlin.

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In the course of InterKontinental’s intensive engagement and marketing of literature from the African continent and the African diaspora, it noticed how few translations exist, the company said. “InterKontinental will therefore make a contribution to closing this gap. The publishing house therefore specialises in translations of literature from the African continent into German.”

The new publishing house is managed by the political scientists and founders of InterKontinental, Karla Kutzner and Stefanie Hirsbrunner, as well as the literature and African studies scholar Venice Trommer.

Vivian Asamoah

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