CulturBooks

CulturBooks is a German independent literary publishing house founded in 2013 and led by Zoë Beck and Jan Karsten. It is headquartered in Hamburg and Berlin and focuses on contemporary literature, with a program that emphasizes prize-winning, exciting international voices alongside German-language authors who possess a distinctive sound and have something to say about a constantly changing world. The publisher presents first-class international literature from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, and describes its output as "wild, colorful stories for wild, colorful times." In addition to its print program, CulturBooks publishes digital editions, including originals and first publications, keeps out-of-print titles available, and handles licensed editions from partner publishers. The publisher has received numerous awards, including the German Publisher Prize (Deutscher Verlagspreis) in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024; the K.-H. Zillmer Publisher Prize in 2024; the Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair in 2024; the German Crime Fiction Prize International in 2022; the Hotlist Prize in 2021; and the German Crime Fiction Prize in 2020. Its authors include Anar Ali, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Stefan Beuse, Bora Chung, Nona Fernández, Maria Kjos Fonn, Frank Göhre, Pippa Goldschmidt, Camilla Grudova, Brigitte Helbling, Cherie Jones, Meena Kandasamy, Amanda Lee Koe, Ratih Kumala, Ray Loriga, Ling Ma, Karan Mahajan, Carl Nixon, Helen Oyeyemi, Carlo Schäfer, and Kathryn Scanlan, among others. CulturBooks operates as a private, independent publisher. It sells through bookshops, its own website, and other book retail channels, and it maintains a newsletter and dedicated information pages for the trade, press, and bloggers. The publisher also expresses an environmental commitment, stating that it loves trees and aims for a good CO2 balance; it is currently a plant sponsor of the beech tree in the Botanical Garden Berlin.

CulturBooks was founded in 2013 by Zoë Beck and Jan Karsten and is headquartered in Hamburg and Berlin. From the outset, the publisher has focused on contemporary literature, presenting both German and international voices. Its program highlights prize-winning, exciting international authors from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, alongside German-language writers who possess a distinctive sound and engage with a constantly changing world. In addition to its print program, CulturBooks has been active in digital publishing, releasing e-books in formats inspired by the music industry, publishing originals and first editions as digital editions, keeping out-of-print titles available, and handling licensed editions from selected partner publishers. The publisher has received significant recognition: it was a recipient of the first German Publisher Prize in 2019 and won the German Publisher Prize again in 2020, 2022, and 2024. In 2020, Frank Göhre received the German Crime Fiction Prize National (3rd place), and in 2022 Cherie Jones received the same honor. The Hotlist Prize went to Ling Ma's "New York Ghost" in 2021. In 2024, Ki-Hyang Lee won the Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair for her translation of Bora Chung's "Der Fluch des Hasen," and Zoë Beck and Jan Karsten were awarded the Karl-Heinz-Zillmer Publisher Prize. The publisher also received the German Crime Fiction Prize International in 2022. CulturBooks continues to operate as an independent publisher, with a catalog featuring authors such as Anar Ali, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Stefan Beuse, Bora Chung, Nona Fernández, Maria Kjos Fonn, Frank Göhre, Pippa Goldschmidt, Camilla Grudova, Brigitte Helbling, Cherie Jones, Meena Kandasamy, Amanda Lee Koe, Ratih Kumala, Ray Loriga, Ling Ma, Karan Mahajan, Carl Nixon, Helen Oyeyemi, Carlo Schäfer, and Kathryn Scanlan. The publisher also emphasizes environmental responsibility, stating a commitment to a good CO2 balance and acting as a plant sponsor for the beech tree in the Botanical Garden Berlin.

• 2024

  Awarded the German Publisher Prize; K.-H. Zillmer Publisher Prize for Zoë Beck and Jan Karsten; Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair for Ki-Hyang Lee's translation of Bora Chung's "Der Fluch des Hasen".

• 2022

  Awarded the German Publisher Prize; Cherie Jones receives German Crime Fiction Prize National (3rd place); German Crime Fiction Prize International.

• 2021

  Hotlist Prize for Ling Ma's "New York Ghost".

• 2020

  Awarded the German Publisher Prize; Frank Göhre receives German Crime Fiction Prize National (3rd place).

• 2019

  Awarded the first German Publisher Prize (Deutscher Verlagspreis).

• 2013

  CulturBooks founded by Zoë Beck and Jan Karsten.

Independent literary publisher specializing in prize-winning international contemporary fiction and distinctive German-language voices.

• Alligator & andere Storys

  Short story collection, hardcover, published 22 September 2026.

1. 1CulturBooks official websiteculturbooks.de
2. 2CulturBooks – Über unsculturbooks.de
3. 3CulturBooks – Über unsculturbooks.de
4. 4Dima Alzayat: Alligator & andere Storysculturbooks.de
5. 5CulturBooks – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6CulturBooks – Wikidatawikidata.org