Peirene Press

(L-R: Chris Schüler, Jamie Bulloch, Meike Ziervogel and Friedrich Christian Delius, at the 6th Peirene literary salon)

Catherine Mansfield recently met up with Meike Ziervogel, founder of new translated fiction press, Peirene, to talk about their mission statement, why they feel they're needed and their plans for the future.

The other night I went to my first ever literary salon. It was something I'd wanted to do for about six months, ever since I heard about Peirene Press, a new publishing house specialising in short European fiction in translation. I'd reviewed all three of Peirene's titles so far and was curious about this small independent press which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and which had already produced three striking books which were attracting attention from the national press. When I found out that Peirene also held literary salons, I knew this was something I had to try.

So, one Saturday night I made my way over to Archway in North London for Peirene's sixth literary salon. What I had naively imagined as 'Peirene's offices' turned out to be the family home of Meike Ziervogel, Peirene's founder and publisher. The door was opened by Meike's ten-year-old son, and Meike's teenaged daughter was busy taking people's coats and topping up wineglasses. The kitchen and living room were already buzzing with guests. Some were veterans of the salon and some, like me, had turned up not knowing what to expect and not knowing a single person there. Help was at hand in the form of Meike Ziervogel herself, who in impeccable-hostess fashion introduced me by name to a handful of other guests: a copyeditor, a translator and a book blogger.

Before long we were called upstairs for the evening's main event: an audience with Friedrich Christian Delius, the German author of Peirene's third title, Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman, and its translator Jamie Bulloch. The salon's 50 or so guests crammed themselves into several rows of chairs in Meike's study and listened to a bilingual reading. This was followed by a lively discussion led by book reviewer Chris Schüler, covering topics including the book's autobiographical elements, how translation compares with creative writing and whether Germans are brought up to feel guilt about World War II. After this there was more wine, bread, cheese, grapes, good conversation and several different types of cake. By the time I left the party to catch a tube back to South London, I felt like I'd been on a trip to some friendly literary planet.

A few days later, when I went back to Archway to interview Meike, I found out that the sense of intimacy that was so evident at the salon is central to Peirene's vision. Meike would like Peirene to help create a community of readers, which is where the salons come in. For her, literature is all about sharing enthusiasm: 'If you read a book which you get excited about and it's made you think about something you hadn't thought about, I think you want to share it.' As Meike points out, reading can be a lonely business; the salon is a chance to meet other readers and, in the case of the many bloggers and freelancers who have worked with or supported Peirene, to put names to faces. Meike originally thought about holding the salons in a pub in Soho, but then decided to follow the example of the 19th century Parisian literary salons by welcoming this community of readers into her home.

This refreshingly open, friendly approach is also immediately clear from Meike's blog on the Peirene website. Storytelling is very important to Peirene's publisher, and she wanted her blog to have some kind of narrative. And so she created the character of Peirene, the Greek nymph who gave the press its name. In Meike's blog, Peirene is a tempestuous diva with a habit of storming out of bookshops and falling in love with authors. The result is a funny, personal, insightful account of the challenges and thrills of setting up a small independent press.

The books themselves, slim, beautifully presented volumes of no more than 200 pages also fit with this friendly, personal image. And yet, pretty and accessible as they are, all three titles are powerful, thought-provoking works of European literary fiction. Meike believes that translated fiction in the UK is generally viewed as heavy, deeply serious work. However, there is no need for translated literature to be presented in that way when it can also be uplifting, entertaining and inspiring. Peirene books are designed to be short enough to enjoy in one evening, and that is how Meike sees literature: something to enjoy. It is this completely unpretentious desire to share and enjoy translated literature which makes Peirene such an attractive new venture.

So, what's the story behind Peirene Press? Meike moved to England from Germany in 1986 to study Arabic Language and Literature. She went on to work for Reuters before moving into journalism. As a linguist and avid reader, she began to feel frustrated with a lack of variety in the British book market: 'The book market here is so incredibly homogenised. We all read the same ten books. There's an obsession in Anglo Saxon literature for plots and thrillers, but you can have a really good read of a book which doesn't necessarily put emphasis on plot.' So she thought about setting up her own publishing house, and one afternoon in 2008 she simply decided to do it. Once this decision was made, Meike spent the first half a year attending conferences, meeting other publishers and beginning to establish the Peirene brand.

Two years on, and Peirene has come a long way. Its first three titles are already published, its 2011 titles are in place, and Meike is now looking for potential titles for 2012. And she is no longer alone; as well as a number of freelancers who work on Peirene's titles, Maddy Pickard, formerly of the Arts Council, has also come on board as Marketing Director. Interestingly, while all three 2010 titles (Beside the Sea by Véronique Olmi, Stone in a Landslide by Maria Barbal and Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman) were either books by women or with a strong female protagonist, the 2011 titles are all books by men, exploring male experiences. This was a deliberate move on Meike's part, as she was interested in exploring what the different voices tell us about male and female forms of expression. After all, the books are demonstrably part of a series and not only to be read in isolation. Meike doesn't yet know what direction she will be taking with her 2012 titles, but they are sure to be tied together by some sense of logic and progression.

So, what makes Meike choose a particular title for Peirene's list? Meike is fascinated by voice and rhythm, and most importantly, storytelling. As she puts it, it doesn't matter what story you tell, the story has to be told well. One of next year's titles, Tomorrow Pamplona by Dutch author Jan Van Mersbergen is the story of two men on their way to the famous Spanish bull run. Meike admits that the story itself didn't immediately attract her, but she was bowled over by the way it was told: 'What makes the story is not the plot but the fact that the language fits the story incredibly well. Language needs to reflect or illuminate the content of the story. There are so many ways of telling a story and it really matters what voice you choose.' Peirene's titles also share the ability to make the reader see things from a new point of view, whether as a mother who loves her children so much that she can't let them live in Beside the Sea, or as a German woman struggling between her religious faith and Nazi ideology in Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman.

I finished my interview by asking about Peirene's future. Meike is determined for the press to stay small. Peirene has enjoyed a lot of success so far, with very positive reviews in national newspapers and a nomination for the Eight Cuts Gallery Prize, and Peirene's reputation as a brand is clearly growing. Its first two titles have already gone into a second print run, with Beside the Sea being reprinted after just three weeks. However, being small has some big advantages. For one thing, Meike wants to keep that strong personal voice which is such an important part of Peirene's brand. It's like the charm of an independent, local cafe compared with the one-size-fits-all attitude of Starbucks.

What's more, if Peirene started publishing twenty or so titles a year there would automatically be a loss of quality. Perhaps surprisingly coming from a book publisher, Meike argues that there are too many books on the market: 'The world does not need more books. I don't want to be a publisher who is just putting out any old books and I really would like people to trust Peirene to make good choices.' Meike is painstaking in her choice of title; Peirene only publishes books that she has read herself, either in the original language or in German or French translation: 'I personally have to be convinced that they are really good books. I have to be ready to talk about them until the cows come home.'

I left Meike's house for the second time feeling that although Peirene is in many ways still a one-woman show, the press' books seem to appeal to a community of readers who are looking for something unique, thought-provoking and refreshingly personal. I for one will be following Meike's blog to find out what Peirene has in store for us in the years to come.

by Catherine Mansfield