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»When I am asked how to sum up Suhrkamp Verlag as concisely as possible, my typical response is: we don’t publish books, we publish authors.«
Siegfried Unseld, publisher of Suhrkamp Verlag, 1959–2002

Suhrkamp Verlag publishes authors, not books. This principle has shaped the self-image of our company from the very beginning. Our work revolves not only around the individual works but also around the authors who write them. Suhrkamp publishes German-language and international literature, non-fiction title, and works of academic inquiry, with a focus on philosophy and the social sciences.

This focus has been present throughout the entire history of the company. With authors like Bertolt Brecht, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Max Frisch, Peter Handke, Hermann Hesse, Ingeborg Bachmann, Christa Wolf, and Uwe Johnson, Suhrkamp Verlag has played a key role in shaping the literary and intellectual profile of Germany ever since its founding in 1950. Series such as edition suhrkamp, Bibliothek Suhrkamp, and suhrkamp taschenbauch have come to be synonymous with a form of literature that is at once ambitious and accessible.

Suhrkamp Verlag has also always had a strong focus on international voices – ranging from figures like Samuel Beckett and Marcel Proust to Elena Ferrante, Isabel Allende, and Annie Ernaux. At the same time, major thinkers such as Theodor W. Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Ernst Bloch, and Jürgen Habermas have shaped the academic profile of the publishing house. Poetry has likewise always been a mainstay at Suhrkamp – ranging from classic works of Modernism to contemporary forms of verse.

Alongside established names, Suhrkamp Verlag also seeks to amplify strong new literary voices. Works that tackle current issues, explore the limits of linguistic possibilities, and expand our perspectives on a constantly shifting world – precise, poetic, plurivocal, and political.

In 2010, Suhrkamp Verlag relocated from Frankfurt am Main to Berlin. After a number of years in Pappelallee in the neighbourhood of Prenzlauer Berg, in 2019, our new office building in the heart of Berlin was completed. With its striking, modern design, the building serves as an architectural symbol of Suhrkamp’s commitment to the contemporary culture and creative energy of the German capital.

From this vantage point, Suhrkamp carries on the traditions and values that have made it such a unique feature of the cultural landscape in Germany: a keen interest in current affairs and cultural and political analysis, a passion for literary quality and experimentation, and a good dose of intellectual curiosity.

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