The Language of Birds

Norbert Scheuer / Translated by Stephen Brown

LONGLISTED FOR 2020 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD


 

‘Norbert Scheuer has created a small gem of wartime writing.’ 
Times Literary Supplement 

‘One of the most sophisticated writers this country has produced in recent years.’ 
Der Spiegel

‘A compositional masterpiece.’ 
Der Tagesspiegel

‘… A beautiful exploration of constraints, freedom, and death … The Language of Birds is an atmospheric and poignant novel.’ 
Helsinki Book Review

 

A tragic accident has driven Paul Arimond far from home, to war-ravaged Afghanistan in 2003. Seeking atonement in his work with the local wildlife provides precious respite, but Paul’s birdwatching logs quickly become an intimate journal, unlocking stories of the life and people he left behind – and of his indomitable ancestor Ambrosius Arimond, who traversed Afghanistan two centuries earlier. This lyrical, meditative novel asks what it might take to outrun the relentless presence of the past.

NORBERT SCHEUER has written novels, short fiction and poetry. His 2009 novel Überm Rauschen was shortlisted for the German Book Prize and he is the recipient of the George K. Glaser Prize and the Rhineland Prize for Literature.

STEPHEN BROWN is a playwright, translator, and cultural critic.

Additional information

Authors

Category

Format

Published Date

ISBN

9781910376638

Pages

179

£12.99