Department of German

Alexander Schimmelbusch, an alumn of the German Department (COL 98) won the Hotlist Book Award at the Frankfurt Bookfair (http://www.hotlist2009.de/) for his second novel, Blut im Wasser (Blood in the Water) published by Blumenbar Verlag (http://www.blumenbar.de/buch.php?id=77).

The Hotlist Award was devised by a group of small, independent publishers who felt overlooked when it came to nominations for the annual German Book Prize.

Schimmelbusch’s novel centers on Pia and Alex, two members of the upper-crust East Coast establishment who were in love as children but now live apart. Pia remembers her love and wants to see him one more time before she dies. Alex lives a life of decadent disillusionment and does not expect anything from the future.

Schimmelbusch’s first novel, Im Sinkflug (In Descent), published by Luftschacht Verlag, Vienna, in 2005, already had been hailed as a beautiful text from an independent and strong talent.