Fiction

The writer Ingo Niermann and publisher Mathias Gatza organised an international model project to respond to the challenges of digitalisation which have plunged the book market into a structural crisis. With the introduction of numerous measures, they developed new methods of literary distribution which have arisen thanks to digitalisation. Together with fellow writers, IT specialists and graphic designers, they developed a fundamentally new reading format which improves concentration, surmounts the limitations of printed books, and is available to publishers and platforms as a free, open-source library. Participating writers have published their texts in the new digital format at no charge, allowing readers access to more demanding, artistic literature which would have otherwise fallen victim to economic considerations in the highly competitive publishing branch. The texts were also published in German and English to enhance their international visibility. In cooperation with the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the project “Fiction” reflected on existing copyright laws, developed new contractual models and put them up for discussion. The project built an international writers’ network and initiated cooperative ventures with international literature festivals, literary magazines and online platforms.

Programme directors: Mathias Gatza, Ingo Niermann
Press/Public relations: Henriette Gallus, Programming and new media design: Harm van den Dorpel, Graphic design: Vela Arbutina
Artistic advisors: Rajeev Balasubramanyam (GB), Douglas Coupland (CA), Elfriede Jelinek (AT), Tom McCarty (GB), Ben Marcus (US), Ou Ning (CN), Thomas Pletzinger, Stephan Porombka, Verena Rossbacher (AT), Sabine Scholl (AT).

Additional Venues:

Conference and readings at the Goethe-Institut, New York: October 2014