Kitab-Verlag
Kitab-Verlag is a publishing house in Klagenfurt, Austria. It primarily focuses on books about the history of the culture of the near east and on modern literature from Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. “Kitab” is the Arabic word for “book” and "Verlag" is German for "publishing house".
Objective
The Kitab-Verlag was founded in 1999 by Wilhelm Baum and Robert Gutounig, who had the intention of publishing books, that should contribute to the understanding that the human race should be taken in its entirety and that it has a common cultural legacy that ought to be preserved. At the same time, it should be possible for the voices of smaller intellectual groups, often defined as local minorities, to find a broader reception. Another key objective for the publisher is therefore to keep alive critical voices of the “underground history of revolutions” (Bloch). System analysis and critique are part of this approach, as well as the promotion of authors, who have continuously sought to transcend national, cultural and religious boundaries. The series “Tangenten” was specifically introduced to promote such “border crossers” between cultures and nations.
The publisher’s other major objective is the promotion of important cultural and literary texts from other world cultures, such as those of Asian, African or Latin American origin. After Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who said that “everything great is either translated or ought to be translated”, the publisher strives to make valuable contributions to world culture, which have in the past been overlooked by the more established publishers. Repressed humanist efforts should be made visible as well as delayed impulses of the enlightenment. Contemporary authors, who have dedicated themselves to cross-cultural communication, or who are prepared to follow new directions, should also be able to express themselves. During a time of globalisation and international cross-linkage, the Kitab-Verlag seeks to establish contacts with non-German publishers and publishes texts in other languages, which, according to the publisher, should be available worldwide. It is a particular concern for the publisher to tighten links between European and Oriental cultures.
The publisher’s name should remind Europe of its Oriental legacy. The Kitab-Verlag has always shown a sympathetic ear towards voices concerned with the dialogue between world cultures and discourses about current conflicts. The publisher desires an open discussion with its readers and is always open to receive new authors with new ideas. As a publisher located at the melting point of Germanic, Slavic and Romanesque cultures, the Kitab-Verlag expressly seeks to present the literature of the “other”.
Works
The publisher’s repertoire includes established Slovene authors, such as Žarko Petan and Boris Pahor. In her stories, Viktorija Kocman, a Serbian-Slovene author, reflects on the experiences of South-Slavs, who have settled in Austria. A German translation of the poems and essays of the Slovenian poet Edvard Kocbek (with an essay of Alojz Rebula) should provide valuable insights into the significance of the Christian poet, who was a member of Tito’s partisan army, but who also distanced himself from the atrocities of the Communist massacres and was banned from writing. The publishing house is editing the books of the Slovenian author Boris Pahor: Blumen für einen Aussätzigen, 2004; Die Stadt in der Bucht (2005) and Piazza Oberdan (2008). In her radio plays, Barbara Frischmuth tells of her encounters with Turk culture. The Chechen-German edition of poems by the emigrated Chechen poet Apti Bisultanov was an act of solidarity with the Chechen people with regard to the genocide and the USA and Europe turning a blind eye on Vladimir Putin’s policies.
Austria’s critical “Heimatliteratur” encompasses the “miniatures” by Engelbert Obernosterer, a system critique by Ingram Hartinger, Wolfgang Pollanz and Günther Freitag, songs by Chanson-singer Barbara Stromberger, as well as essays about the work of Josef Winkler. The well-known author Bernhard Hütteneger published his childhood memories and a travel book about Iceland. The “Jahrbuch für Literatur Elf” was an attempt to position new authors, such as Olga Flor. With “Ausgegraben” the publisher sought to unearth forgotten authors, such as Max Hölzer, one of the few Austrian Surrealists. The well-known medievalist Peter Dinzelbacher published the voluminous work “Mentalität und Religiosität des Mittelalters” as part of the publisher’s science programme. The fate of the Christian minorities in the far East should be brought to light, especially now that the EU is conducting membership talks with Turkey. Related to this is the publisher’s presentation of relations between Christian Ethiopia and the Muslim and European worlds.
The English translation of the history of the “Apostolische Kirche des Ostens” by Wilhelm Baum and Dietmar Winkler has already been published by Routledge Curzon Press in London, and the English translation of Baum’s biography of the Christian queen Shirin of Persia (+628) was published by Gorgias Press in New Jersey, USA (Shirin. Christian – Queen – Myth of love). The Italian translation of Baum’s book “Die Grafen von Görz in der europäischen Politik des Mittelalters” (2nd edition) was published in Gorizia, Italy. The extensive volume “Kunstwerke sind Stationen auf dem Passionsweg zu einem verlorenen Paradies” was published to support the interdisciplinary discourse between art, literature and politics. Letters and documents about the “Nötscher Kreis” (582 pgs and XLVIII boards), which illustrate the works of the painters Sebastian Isepp, Anton Kolig, Franz Wiegele and Anton Mahringer and their encounters with Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Anton Faistauer, Alfred Kubin, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Stefan Zweig, Michael Guttenbrunner and Maria Lassnig, also describe the painters’ confrontation with national-socialism and their discourse with the intellectual climate of the time (1st and 2nd edition 2004). The Kitab-Verlag considers the discourse between cultures and the critical confrontation with tribalistic historicism as its ongoing objective.