A group of 5 related pieces – German & Central European Writers.
(1) Günter Grass Typed Letter Signed, Berlin, 26 January 1965, to the 92nd Street Y Poetry Center, Arranging His New York Reading with Uwe Johnson.
Typed letter signed "Günter Grass", in German, one page, headed Berlin 41, Niedstr. 13, dated 26 January 1965, to Miss Galen Eberl at The Poetry Center, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, New York. He opens playfully, "Sehr geehrtes Fräulein Eberl oder sehr geehrter Herr Eberl (falls der schöne Vorname Galen männlicher Natur sein sollte)" (Dear Miss Eberl or dear Mr Eberl, in case the lovely first name Galen should be of a male nature), and confirms that he and the novelist Uwe Johnson will arrive in New York on 7 or 8 May and have reserved Monday 10 May for the reading at the Poetry Center: Johnson will read prose and Grass will perform "einen kurzen Theaterakt" (a short theatre act), after which both will answer questions from the audience. Grass, author of "The Tin Drum", won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. A fine letter documenting the 1965 American reading tour of two leading postwar German writers. Condition: horizontal fold, light toning; "Feinpost" watermark.
(2) Günter Grass Typed Letter Signed, Berlin, 10 February 1967, to Galen Williams of the Poetry Center: Two Hours of Poetry Would Give Him "Pimples and a Swollen Liver".
Typed letter signed "Günter Grass", in German, one page, headed Berlin 41, Niedstr. 13, dated 10 February 1967, to Miss Galen Williams at The Poetry Center, 92nd Street, New York. "Liebe Galen" (Dear Galen), he writes that he is already looking forward to New York, "so grau und doof ist es hier manchmal" (it is sometimes so grey and dreary here). He thinks the planned programme of two hours in total is too long: "Wenn ich zwei Stunden lang Lyrik hören müßte, bekäme ich Pickel im Gesicht und eine geschwollene Leber" (if I had to listen to poetry for two hours I would get pimples on my face and a swollen liver). He asks to stay at the "Navarro" on Central Park West, "ein Zimmer, möglichst hoch mit Blick auf den Park" (a room as high as possible with a view of the park). A witty, irreverent letter from the Nobel Prize-winning author of "The Tin Drum". Condition: folds, light toning; "Feinpost" watermark.
(3) Erich Maria Remarque Signature, New York, 4 September 1939 – Author of "All Quiet on the Western Front".
ERICH MARIA REMARQUE (1898–1970), German novelist whose "All Quiet on the Western Front" (Im Westen nichts Neues) became the defining novel of the First World War; his books were burned by the Nazis and he was stripped of German citizenship. Bold ink signature on textured paper, signed and dated "New York, 4. September 39" – the day after Britain and France declared war on Germany, and as Remarque himself arrived in America to begin his exile (he crossed on the Queen Mary that week).
(4) Michael Ende Signed and Dated Thienemann Portrait Card – Author of "The Neverending Story".
MICHAEL ENDE (1929–1995), German author of fantasy and children's literature, best known for "Die unendliche Geschichte" (The Neverending Story), "Momo" and "Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer" (Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver). Publisher's portrait card (photo by Isolde Ohlbaum), boldly signed "Michael Ende" in blue ink and dated "7.11.91." The reverse lists his works published by Thienemann and Edition Weitbrecht, Stuttgart, including Der Wunschpunsch (The Night of Wishes), Das Traumfresserchen (The Dream-Eater), Der Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror) and Die Archäologie der Dunkelheit.
(5) Herta Müller Signed Hanser Portrait Card – Nobel Prize in Literature 2009.
HERTA MÜLLER (b. 1953), Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist, awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature for depicting 'the landscape of the dispossessed' under the Ceau?escu dictatorship. Carl Hanser Verlag portrait card (photo © Isolde Ohlbaum), signed "Herta Müller" in white across the lower portion. The reverse is the publisher's printed 'Nobelpreis für Literatur 2009' (Nobel Prize for Literature 2009) panel showing her books, including Atemschaukel (The Hunger Angel), Herztier (The Land of Green Plums), Heute wär ich mir lieber nicht begegnet (The Appointment) and Der Fuchs war damals schon der Jäger (The Fox Was Ever the Hunter).
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