At the 2023 edition of Books at Berlinale, with Frankfurter Buchmesse president and CEO Juergen Boos and the Berlinale Co-Production Market’s Henning Adam onstage. Image: FBM, Ines Bachor
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Books to Film: Authors From Nine Countries Represented
In an announcement this afternoon (January 13), Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 15 to 19) has announced 10 titles from the European and international book markets to be presented to film producers at this year’s Books at Berlinale event, which is set for February 17.
The program, from Frankfurt and the Berlinale Co-Production Market, annually presents to filmmakers a curated selection of novels with what organizers say have high potential for adaptation to screen is produced as part of the Berlin International Film Festival‘s “Berlinale Pro” framework by Frankfurt and the Berlinale Co-Production Market. This year, the event is in the Octogon at Leipziger Platz.
This year’s 10 books have been chosen from an initial pool of close to 120 submissions from publishers and literary agencies.
Authors whose books have been chosen for presentation come from Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and The Philippines, which is Frankfurt’s guest of honor market this year.
The 2025 Books at Berlinale Novels
Books at Berlinale host and moderator Syd Atlas, right, speaks with a participant at the 2024 edition of the program. Image: FBM, Tina Pfeifer
These books are listed here in alphabetical order by the name of the presenting company.
- Havets kirkegård / The Sea Cemetery by Aslak Nore, Norway, Le Bruit du monde / EDITIS, France
- Was du kriegen kannst / Whatever You Can Get by Clemens Böckmann, Germany, Carl Hanser Verlag, Germany
- The “Spectrum” Series / Spektrum by Nanna Foss, Denmark, Gyldendal Group Agency, Denmark
- Daily Soap by Nora Osagiobare, Switzerland, Kein & Aber, Switzerland
- Impénétrable / Impenetrable by Alix Garin, Belgium, Mediatoon, France
- Irô / Dog by Angelo R. Lacuesta, Philippines, Milflores Publishing, the Philippines
- Pink Elephant by Luca Kieser, Germany, Penguin Random House, Germany
- Gotico salentino / Mediterranean Gothic by Marina Pierri, Italy, Piergiorgio Nicolazzini Literary Agency, Italy
- Poubelle by Pieter Waterdrinker, the Netherlands, Singel Uitgeverijen, the Netherlands
- Fischtage / Fish Days by Charlotte Brandi, Germany, Ullstein Buchverlage, Germany
Film producers and rights holders who would like to participate on February 17 can register their interest by February 7 at books@berlinale.de for one of the program’s limited number of seats. They’ll be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Syd Atlas returns for a 19th year to moderate the event on February 17, which is expected to draw some 150 participants. Atlas is a frequently seen host and moderator, as well as a coach to many others. She’s the author of two books from the Holtzbrinck Group‘s Rowohlt division: Es war einmal in Brooklyn (Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn), a novel, and Das Jahr ohne Worte: Eine wahre Liebesgeschichte (The Year Without Words: A True Love Story).
More from Publishing Perspectives on Books at Berlinale is here, more on adaptations of books to film and television is here and here. More on rights and licensing is here. More on Frankfurter Buchmesse is here. And more on Frankfurt’s 2025 Guest of Honor Philippines program is here.
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