EUR36,–
Heroes
German, 2024, Frank Schätzing
Frank Schätzing presents "Heroes" at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2024
1.11.2024
Translation: machine translated
Bestselling author Frank Schätzing presented his new novel "Helden" at the Frankfurt Book Fair, an unexpected sequel to his classic "Death and the Devil". In this interview, he talks about the creative process of writing the book and reveals where he got the idea for the new 1,000-page work.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung stand at the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair was very busy when bestselling author Frank Schätzing presented his new novel "Helden" (Heroes). The work is an unexpected sequel to his successful novel "Death and the Devil" from the 1990s and aroused the interest of many visitors to the fair. In an interview, Schätzing gave insights into the creation process of his latest work and revealed how the unplanned continuation of the medieval story came about after almost 30 years.
Unexpected inspiration and meticulous work
"I had no intention of writing a sequel," Schätzing replied at the beginning of the interview when asked whether he had been planning to write a follow-up to his successful novel "Death and the Devil" for a long time. It takes him a long time to wake up in the morning and then he first takes a shower. During one of these moments in the shower, the idea for "Heroes" suddenly appeared: "I immediately had a finished story in my mind's eye."
But it would take around two years from that moment to the finished novel. Not necessarily a long time for a book of over a thousand pages. Especially as Schätzing attaches great importance to thorough research. Even though he immediately had everything in his head again, he first re-read his own book "Death and the Devil", which is now almost 30 years old, in order to then flesh out the rest of the story. He devoted six months to pure research. And he also continued his research during the subsequent writing process. During this phase, the author described sitting down at his desk every day at 10am and working on the new work until 8pm.
"Heroes" - A journey into medieval Europe
"Heroes" is set in the 13th century, three years after the plot of the previous novel "Death and the Devil". The main character of the successful novel is once again the central figure in "Heroes": Jacop, a farm boy and shrewd thief who has now developed into an honourable merchant's apprentice. The story begins in the year 1263, when Jacop, as in its predecessor, gets into serious trouble. Despite his efforts to lead a righteous life, he suddenly finds himself on the run. He is hunted by ghosts of his past, Scottish mercenaries and a mysterious figure called the "Blonde Witch".
Jacop's adventures take him far beyond the borders of Cologne. He travels to the major trade fairs in Champagne and even dares to make the dangerous crossing across the English Channel to London. In the process, he is drawn into a storm that engulfs the whole of Europe: English barons are planning to oust their king and abolish the absolute monarchy.
Schätzing paints a vivid picture of a society in upheaval. The 13th century was a time when the church was slowly losing power, rebellions threatened royal rule and the rising merchant bourgeoisie was increasingly gaining influence. The novel sheds light on the tensions between the nobility, the clergy and the up-and-coming merchants, who revolutionised the economy with new financial instruments such as letters of credit.
Schätzing skilfully interweaves historical facts with fictional elements to create a fascinating panorama of medieval Europe. The novel promises a captivating mix of drama, historical fiction, humour and eroticism.
Header image: Anna Sandner
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.