by Calvin Keogh 
 
If the Fall of the Wall ushered in an era of profound transformation on social, political and economic fronts for both Europe and the city of Berlin itself, it also presented an unprecedented opportunity for the arts. Just as politicos, entrepreneurs and would-be developers moved quickly in to fill the vacuum left in the wake of Communism, so too did artists and writers seek to occupy new and uncharted territory.

Symbolically a no-man’s-land, where for thirty odd years an all too physical barrier-cum-void had made exchange of any meaningful kind a near impossibility, Berlin was opened up for a pacific re-occupation. A type of post-war barter economy was re-introduced, in which the goods traded were ideas and inspiration and the profits gained those of the mind and spirit.

While the world watched, the arts and music scene took off to become one of the most vibrant and influential of the continent. Although German language literature received less international attention, it equally thrived. As writers arrived to work in the city, contacts were made, ideas exchanged and practical steps taken to create an alternative infrastructure to encourage and showcase new talent.

One result was the setting up of the Lauter Niemand literature lab, an on-going weekly open mike for fiction and poetry where new work is presented, discussed and constructively criticised. The publication of a magazine of the same name quickly realised a wide circulation due as much to the accessibility of its unpretentious newsprint format as to the quality of its featured writing.

It was to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the movement that a launch was held this month to present No Man’s Land, the first issue of the periodical to be translated into English. Featuring 29 contributors, many translated for the first time, the crossover to an international readership indicates a will to maintain the city’s cosmopolitan tradition as an open ground of unrestricted creativity. 

‘Would you like to come over into my language’, invited translator Donna Stonecipher as she began in English a work by Hungarian-born poet Orsolya Kalaśz, who echoed the delivery in both German and the runaway cadences of her mother tongue. The evening of readings was a compelling demonstration of how to preserve an original voice while extending its range and inpact.

How can the voice of the writer ‘be echoed in a different language, in different contexts, without losing its soul’? Focussing on younger writers introduced as unknown arrivals and who went on to achieve quantifiable success in the form of awards and publications, the anniversary issue is both summation of a decade of the Berlin scene and its extension to new creative paths.

While writers working principally in German were brought before a wider international audience, poetry and prose in English also experienced a moment of definition this month with the publication of Bordercrossing Berlin. Launched within days and blocks of No Man’s Land in a tightly-packed annex to Berlin’s Z Bar, both established favorites and newcomers mounted the rostrum to read from their works. 

The novel-sized compilation of submissions, including poetry, novel extracts, short stories, articles and interviews, represents a broad spectrum of already published and newly presented talent. A timely arrival on the scene, the periodical offers an intriguing insight into the work of ‘the writer-living-abroad’ while confirming the place of Berlin as a creative and inspirational hub open to all.

More information about Berlin’s new literary magazines in English can be found at www.no-mans-land.org and at www.bordercrossing-berlin.com.

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