A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE PUBLISHING HOUSE SZÉPHALOM The publisher exists since 1989. It was created first of all to issue contemporary literature but we have also published books on sociography, publicism, history, history of civilisation, philosophy or children's books. We have so far published about 300 titles, our range of authors represents almost all trends and age-groups of Hungarian contemporary belles-lettres. We also dedicate our attention to the works of young authors and to the present generation of writers and translators. From 1989 on we publish A magyar irodalom évkönyve [The Annual of Hungarian Literature], the characteristic and important volume of the publisher. This volume enumerates Hungarian literary events, institutions, list of writers within and beyond the border of Hungary. The data are yearly checked and published updated. The great enterprise of Széphalom, issueing the so far unpublished manuscripts of Nándor Várkonyi, belongs to the domain of culture of civilisation and philosophy. So far there have been 8 volumes of his life-work handed over to our readers. The first of these was the book titled Elveszett Paradicsom [The Lost Paradise] (1994), which is a polemical essay about questions of rationalist-materialist philosophy. The book Az ötödik ember I-III. [The Fifth Man] (1995-97) consists of 1506 printed pages, and it aims to map the history of ideas of mankind, it attempts to detect spiritual crossroads and deadlocks of modern times. Apart from this, we published Várkonyi Emlékkönyv [The Várkonyi Album] (1993), in which among others László Németh, Miklós Mészöly, Győző Csorba, László Bertók, the best Hungarian writers had written about their memories about the man they had known as an "autonomous spiritual institution". We continued the publishing of his so far unedited or censored manuscripts by issueing two volumes of Varázstudomány I-II. [Witchcraft]. In 2001 we published Az írás és a nyomtatás története. [The History of Writing and Printing]. In 1994 we took over the publishing of the life-work series of Anna Jókai. Since then we have issued 7 volumes of the Kossuth-Prize winner author (Vörös és vörös) [Red and Red], 1994; Három [Three], 1995; A feladat - Mindhalálig [The Duty - Until We Die], 1996; Az együttlét - A töve és a gallya [Being Together - The Stock and the Twig], 1997; Ne féljetek [Don't Be Afraid], 1998). All of these belong to the events of contemporary Hungarian literature. For the Book festival in 1998 we published the successful novel Ne féljetek [Don't Be Afraid]. The novel had a great success; in 2 years it was printed again 12 times and 12000 copies were sold. The writer was granted the Prize Novel of the Year 1998. For the Book Festival in 1999 the second edition of the famous novel of Anna Jókai Szegény Sudár Anna [Poor Anna Sudár] was published. Two novels in one volume followed: 4447 - Tartozik és követel [4447 - Credits and Debts] (1989), and the great novel Napok [Days]. László Krasznahorkai belongs to the middle-generation of writers. He achieved a significant position among novelists already in the middle of the eighties. We have been publishing his books since 1992 (Az urgai fogoly [The Prisoner of Urga], 1992; A Theseus-általános [The Theseus-General], 1993; Sátántangó [Satan's Tango] - second edition, 1993). For the Book Festival in 1999 we published the second edition of his famous novel Az ellenállás melankóliája [The Melancholy of Resistance], which was chosen the best novel in foreign-language literature in Germany in 1993. In the winter of 2001 the publishing house Széphalom is going to publish a collection of Hungarian and German criticism of the works of László Krasznahorkai. The series of Magyar Napló Könyvek was devoted to significant works of contemporary foreign poets and writers. The series has already 13 volumes. This is in a way a common enterprise with the periodical review Magyar Napló, ad the review also presents these literary authors and their works. Our series Aranyhal [Goldfish] - launched in 1995 - is going to be published in the 11th volume of Magyar Napló Könyvek, which presents collected works of contemporary Hungarian literary historians and essayists like Miklós Béládi, Zoltán Bertha, Lívia Mohás, Imre Monostori, Péter Vasadi. For the Bookfair in Frankfurt in 1999 we published an anthology of contemporary Hungarian poetry in English translated by Nicholas Kolumban, the American poet - who was born in Hungary. It has a preface written by Anna Dropick [The Science of In-Between], a professor of the University of Princeton. The poems in the anthology had already been published before in important American reviews. We have published a similar anthology in French. The novel of Anna Jókai The Light for the World was translated to German for the Bookfair in Frankfurt in 1999 by Martha Szépfalusi-Wanner and published as a pre-edition. The publisher Széphalom carries promising negotiations about the first edition of the book with German publishers. Anna Jókai: Das Licht für die Welt - Fürchtet euch nicht [The Light for the World - Don't Be Afraid] (Ne féljetek) (Novel translated by Martha Szépfalusi-Wanner, published by Széphalom Könyvműhely, Budapest, 1999.) It is a novel about getting old and die. At the same time it scopes the life of the four main characters. Although it takes place in the actual present, also the background of personal fates comes alive: the Horthy-era in Hungary between the two World Wars, the personal cult of the 50s, the period of the soft dictatorship. Then the hopes and disappointments of the change of the regime until 1997. It is the story of two women (a stewardess and a social worker) and two men (a psychiatrist and a lawyer) and also a story of the children, grandchildren and the great-grandparents. What is special about the novel is that not all of the 4 people know each other, although they relate to each other with strong bonds. The couples look for the old unlucky love. Their consciousness separates them from the daily reality. The exciting, not conventional story has an original form, which is required by its theme: the novel is a mystery play-like projection of the psycho-spiritual level. The general order of the action itself is hardly a background tone, it is hardly counterpointed. The novel can be read in many ways: it is a medicine against death, perhaps a recommended way to initiation but at the same time a help to live worthy and die worthy. It is the story of a big unappeasable love: it is a time-novel and a description of an illness of the world in the turning of the millennium. It is an exciting book, a decisive expression of opinion about the important experience: the quality of our lives relates to our death. But not pessimistically written: here flashes the light of death. Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft I-II. (Varázstudomány) Várkonyi's book, which remained in manuscripts elaborates a topic which from the beginning has been a contradictory one; culture seen from East to West: it's the world of spiritual appearances, still undiscovered because it is not repeated regularly, thus it cannot be materialised. In spite of this, it exists, proved by human experience again and again. The thinking base-position of Várkonyi is also here original. He cannot accept that things that are difficult to understand and control - or things that cannot be repeated or examined in an empirical, experimental ways and methods - could be denied in the name of being scientific. Science is only correct, thinks Várkonyi, and can expect acknowledgement for its objectivity, it sets the limits of its knowledge and doesn't want to deny - just to pretend to be omnipotent and to be of universal validity - what by its methods and ways cannot be explained and examined. The scientist, who is really devoted to reality and not to his own profession, may not turn his eyes from the reality of spiritual appearances and capacities, or he would become one of those swindlers who disguise their ignorance by appearing initiated and take advantage of human helplessness and credulity and by claiming to be the owners of a knowledge they had never had. Thus, Várkonyi's book touches again a delicate topic. With this book, in which he is trying to make a clear picture about real spiritual appearances and their misuse, Várkonyi may draw upon himself the anger of the scientists of materialism, the representatives of esoterism, of secret sciences. The book contains lots of mythological and historical material to present the topic and employs a comprehensive philological arsenal. Kolumban Nicholas: The Science of In-Between - An Anthology of Nineteen Contemporary Hungarian Poets (Box Turtle Press, New York - Széphalom, Budapest, 1999) The anthology of the 19 Hungarian contemporary poets - from György Faludy, Sándor Csoóri, Sándor Kányádi, György Gömöri, Elemér Horváth, György Petri, Vince Sulyok to Zsuzsa Takács, Zsuzsa Kapecz, Gáspár Nagy, János Oláh - is a representative collection by the translator Nicholas Kolumban. All the poems in this book had already been published before in American reviews. The notes (written by the translator) present the Hungarian authors of the anthology. The concise introduction about the history and literature of Hungary was written by Anna Dropick, professor of the University of Princeton in New Jersey. Anna Jókai: Poor Anna Sudár (novel - Collected Works of Anna Jókai-series) The novel, written like a diary, is about the everyday-life of a woman in Transsylvania, about loving children and grandchildren and about how dictatorship invades even the most hidden corner of life. Nándor Várkonyi: The Fifth Man I-III. (Cultural history with an epilogue by Katalin Mezey, László Vanyó and László Tőkéczki, and with a register of names) Nándor Várkonyi, the significant cultural historian, philosopher and literary historian treats in his comprehensive work the ideas and great figures of Christian antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance, baroque and enlightenment until the turning of the century.
BOOKS OF THE PUBLISHING HOUSE SZÉPHALOM 1998-2002 1998 The Annual of Hungarian Literature 1997 Ed. Attila Buda, 320 p., 920 Ft Ádám Bisztray: The Rose-garden Soup Short stories, 135 p., 580 Ft Daniel Boulanger: A Dangerous Favour French short stories translated by young translators, 240 p., 690 Ft László Bratka: Once Upon a Time Poetry and prose, 160 p., 620 Ft Mihály Hoppál: Folklore and Community Text analyses, 260 p., 870 Ft Béla Jávorszky: On the Land of Boats Sawn in Two Notes about Baltic lands, 140 p., 580 Ft Anna Jókai: Don't Be Afraid Novel, 341 p., 1900 Ft, paperback 1500 Ft (Novel of the Year 1998) Menyhért Lakatos: The Secret Short stories, 120 p., 640 Ft Adam Miczkiewicz: Books of the Polish People and the Polish Pilgrimage Translated by Gábor Kazinczy, also in French and Polish With a prologue by István D. Molnár and an epilogue by István Kovács 230 p., 1800 Ft Lívia Mohás: The Dancer, the Politician and the Woman Essay, 240 p., 780 Ft (Book of the Year 1998) Yves Namur: The Book of Seven Gates Poems (Magyar Napló Könyvek) translated by János Lackfi and György Timár Arto Paasilinna: The Howling Miller Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky (Magyar Napló Könyvek) 186 p., 730 Ft Endre Rózsa: The Dreams of the Amuck Runner Poems bequeathed, 144 p., 590 Ft Ágoston Szauer A Small Book of the Novel Short novel, 120 p., 590 Ft József Tornai: Everything that Blooms New poems, 140 p., 670 Ft Göran Tunström: Letter of the Plains Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky (Magyar Napló Könyvek) 175 p., 730 Ft Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft, I. 536 p., 3300 Ft Béla Vihar: Between the Straps Selected poems with an epilogue by Ágnes Gergely, 680 Ft 1999 The Annual of Hungarian Literature 1998 Edited by Attila Buda, 380 p., 1200 Ft Zsuzsa Albert: Post from the Present New poems, 106 p., 680 Ft Franco Cajani: Meditation in the Wind Cycle in Hungarian an in Italian, translated from Italian by Ferenc Baranyi 170 p., 980 Ft Lord of the Songs - An Anthology of Contemporary Australian Poets Translated and notes by István Turczi and Judith Raphael Bukrich 164 p., 1200 Ft Béla Fehér: Walking the Dog Drama and radio plays; a common edition with Magyar Napló 140 p., 780 Ft R. Peter Holm: In Backlight Poems, translated from Norwegian by Vince Sulyok, 101 p., 580 Ft Anna Jókai: The Light for the World - Don't Be Afraid Novel, 9th unchanged edition, 342 p., 1800 Ft Anna Jókai: Poor Anna Sudár Novel - Anna Jókai Life-Work Series 336 p., 1980 Ft The Miklós Jósika Album (Miklós Jósika Life-Work Series) edited by Mihály Szajbély - in Hungarian Flemish and French, 288 p., 1800 Ft Jaan Kaplinski: The Naked Maple Trees Poems translated from Estonian by Béla Jávorszky, 101 p., 680 Ft Csaba Kiss Gy.: The Temptation of Freedom. Political Lessons 272 p., 980 Ft Nicholas Kolumban: The Science of In-Between - An Anthology of Contemporary Hungarian Lyrics (Common edition with Box Turtle Press in New York), 254 p., 1500 Ft László Krasznahorkai: The Melancholy of Resistance 2nd edition, 384 p., 1500 Ft Menyhért Lakatos: You Told the Future from the Palm Poems, 66 p., 790 Ft Maurice Maeterlinck: Pelléas and Mélisande Dramas translated from French by Miklós Bárdos and János Lackfi 250 p., 1100 Ft Stefánia Mándy: Scintilla Poems, 170 p., 890 Ft Gábor Margittai: The Clay-Boat Essays, a common edition with Magyar Napló, 150 p., 730 Ft Katalin Mezey: Paul Whoareyou in the Land of Doesn'texist 2nd edition of a tale-novel, a common edition with Új KÉZirat, with 26 coloured illustration by Viola Berki, 112 p., 1790 Ft Katalin Mezey: Paule Werbistedenn im Lande Gehtjanicht Tale-novel, a common edition with Új KÉZirat, translated from Hungarian by Skirecki, 26 coloured illustration by Viola Berki, 112 p., 1790 Ft Gábor Nagy: Lélekvesztő Poems, a common edition with Magyar Napló, 104 p., 680 Ft János Oláh: An Unexpected Meeting - Váratlan találkozás Poems in English and Hungarian translated by Nicholas Kolumban, 64 p., 53 Ft Pál Pék: The Expulsion of the Lamb New poems, 140 p., 700 Ft Sándor Restár: Studies of Movement Poems, 130 p., 530 Ft Géza Röhrig: Night New poems, 240 p., 890 Ft Eszter Szakács: Another Place, Another Time New poems, 101 p., 630 Ft Lajos Szakolczay: Qualms of our Age Essays, studies, criticism, 390 p., 1500 Ft Ferenc Szempci Molnár: Hungarian Chronicle Song from the 18th century, from the period of the seven-years-war with studies by Mihály Zichy, József Zachar and Márton Szilágyi, and with facsimile pictures 1500 Ft Nándor Várkonyi: The Fifth Man I-III- With an epilogue by Katalin Mezey, László Vanyó and László Tőkéczki 1458 p., 6400 Ft Vilmos Vass: A Brief History of the Hungarian Democratic Labour Movement 160 p., 880 Ft Liliane Wouters: The Pilgrimage of Blood Poems, translated from French by Krisztina Tóth, László Ferenczi and János Lackfi 192 p., 690 Ft 2000 The Annual of Hungarian Literature, 1999 Edited by Attila Buda, 380 p, 1400 Ft Zsuzsa Albert: Post from the Present New poems, 680 Ft István Ágh: Like the poem in us Essays and studies A/5, 452 p., 1600 Ft Corrado Calabro: Sender Unknown Poems in Italian and in Hungarian, A/5, 112 p., 1100 Ft Mrs Jámbor, Tünde Balog: On the Stairs of Medard Short stories, A/5, 168 p., 880 Ft Anna Jókai: 4447 - Credits and Debts Two novels, life-work series, B/5, 382 p., 2200 Ft Miklós Jósika: Letters from Brussels A/5, 150 p., 1800 Ft Márton Kalász: The Rose Painter Poems, 140 p., 890 Ft Ryszard Kapuscinsky: Ebony Report essays from Africa, A/5, 312 p., 1500 Ft Benedek Kiss - Katalin Mezey - József Utassy: Strange World Poems for children, illustrated by Krisztina Rényi, 104 p., 980 Ft Book of the Year 2000 Miklós Kolumbán: Flares on Water Poems in English and in Hungarian, A/5, 142 p., 980 Ft László Krasznahorkai: Tango de Satan A novel in French, A/5, 288 p., 2800 Ft Balázs Lengyel: The Silver Groat A novel for young people, A/5, 296 p., 1390 Ft Vilmos Molnár: About the Salary of the Reader Short stories, A/5, 156 p., 880 Ft Menyhért Lakatos: Smoky Pictures 4th edition, 456 p., 1690 Ft Rhapsody of Refugees (Polish People in Hungary 1939-1945) B/5, 632 p., 3500 Ft Béla Pomogáts: Variations on the Avantgarde Studies, essays (Aranyhal-series), 250 p., 1100 Ft Géza Röhrig: Island New poems, 152 p., 980 Ft Gyula Rugási: Fresco from the 20th century. Studies on Győző Határ 140 p., 830 Ft Drifting Mankind Essays on Nándor Várkonyi's The Fifth Man, 172 p., 980 Ft István Szathmári: Kurds in the City Short stories, 180 p., 980 Ft, Book of theYear 2000 Lajos Szigeti: The Rolling Sea of Light New poems, 84 p., 600 Ft Sándor Tatay: The Book of my Surprises - The Time of Loafing About Two biographical novels (Sándor Tatay life-work series, 1st volume) 380 p., 1690 Ft Göran Tunström: Moonflame Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky, 230 p., 1390 Ft Francisca Van Vloten: A Cruelly Beautiful Heritage (The Story of the Góth Artist Family) An album of fine arts and a monography, translated by Judit Gera 162 p., 3500 Ft Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft, II. 538 p., 3500 Ft 2001 The Annual of Hungarian Literature, 2000 A/5, coloured, paperback, 400 p., 1590 Ft G.L. Durlacher: The Drowning Man Novel, B/6, paperback, 120 p., 980 Ft Ö. Szabolcs Barlay: Flower on the Ruins History of art, 2nd edition, 392 p., 1500 Ft László Bratka: Cloudy Short stories, 80 p., 790 Ft Sándor Csoóri: Shavings on the Floor Essays, A/5, 350 p., 1500 Ft Eszter Forrai: Cloud-burst New poems, 56 p., 590 Ft Anna Földes: The Book of the Irodalmi Ujság Monography, A/5, 380 p., + 4 A/3 newspaper sheets Lorenza Franco: Meghatározatlan - Indefinito Poems in Italian and in Hungarian, 112 p., 980 Ft Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir: Rain in Rejkyavík Poems, 112 p., 980 Ft Anna Jókai: Days Novel B/5, hardback, 3950 Ft Endre Miklóssy: Beyond the Tower Built from Dust by the Wind Hungarian thinkers from the 20th century: portrays of L. Fülep, B. Hamvas, S. Karácsony, K. Kerényi, L. Szabó, N. Várkonyi) A/5, 410 p., 2500 Ft Márió Papp: Fine, Thanks New poems, 138 p., B/6 890 Ft Roma Kincses Kalendárium, 2001 In Hungarian and in Gypsy language, A/5, 400 p., 2500 Ft Pál Salamon: The Wedding Novel, A/5 224 p., 1800 Ft Iván Szabó: Walls of Glass Autobiographical novel, A/5, 400 p., 2500 Ft János Szávai - Alain Lance (ed.): Nouvelle poésie hongroise 1970-2000 Hungarian poetry in French - a common edition with the Éditions Caractéres) Paperback, 155 FF Ernő Szenti: Washing Time New poems, A/5, 120 p., 850 Ft János Szentmártoni: Here, on the Paper New poems, A/5, 112 p., 890 Ft Tomas Tranströmer: 117 Poems Selected poems, A/5, 200 p., 1190 Ft Nándor Várkonyi: The History of Writing and the Book Culture of civilisation, 450 p., 3500 Ft Sándor Csoóri: Silent Agoraphobia Coloured, hardback, 220 p., 1800 Ft Balázs Lengyel: Who Meets Himself? Essays in history of literature, 265 p., 1800 Ft, paperback Léna Szilárd: Andrej Belij and the Poetics of the Russian Symbolist Novel History of literature, 280 p., 1900 Ft, paperback 2002 Tibor Keresztury (ed.): The Hungarian and German Reception of László Krasznahorkai's Works Translated by József Grudl, 240 p., paperback László Bárdos: Self-Knowledge and Initiation (A Monography of Anna Jókai) Monography, F/5, 218 p., 1800 Ft, hardback Sándor Restár: Borrowed Humility Collected poems, 260 p., 1600 Ft, paperback Tomas Tranströmer: Memories Can See Translated from Swedish by Ferenc Mervel, 80 p., 1000 Ft, hardback Anthology of 20th Century Danish Poets Translated by Vince Sulyok, 250 p., 1600 Ft, paperback Eszter Szakács: Dream Talk New Poems, 74 p., 1100 Ft, paperback Vince Sulyok: You Live in Your Yesterday Poems, 118 p., 1100 Ft, paperback József Rigó: In the Closure of the Heartbeat Poems, 198 p., 1400 Ft, paperback Nicholas Kolumban: The Intricate Adventures of an Alien Novel, 258 p., 1800 Ft, paperback Anna Jókai: The Tongue of the Balance - I. Part Studies, 312 p., 2500 Ft, hardback Tünde Balog, Mrs. Jámbor: My Calendar Special articles of ethnographical inspiration, with drawings of the author, 268 p., 1600 Ft, hardback Mihály Balázsovics: Letters from the Hill-side An autobiographical novel, 250 p., 1600 Ft, paperback Péter Vasadi: The Water-Scent of the Revolt Poems, 110 p., 1300 Ft, paperback The Annual of Hungarian Literature 2001, Edited by Judit Baranyai and Katalin Mezey, 400 p., paperback Nándor Várkonyi: Columns of Siriat Uncensored, illustrated, black-and-white complete edition, 676 p., 4900 Ft, hardback Judith Herzberg: Things Poems, translated by Judit Gera, 100 p., 1300 Ft, hardback Carl Friedman: Two Full Suitcases Novel, translated by Miklós Fenyves, 152 p., 1500 Ft, hardback János Csontos: XL Poems, 402 p., 1800 Ft, hardback Anna Jókai: The Stock and the Branch Essays (3rd edition), B/5, 126 p., 1500 Ft, hardback Books to be published Jarkko Laine: The Poem I Always Wanted to Write Poems, translated by Béla Jávorszky, Lajos Szopori Nagy, János Banos, József Tornai, István Turczi Lars Gustafsson: Near the Inconceivable Short stories, translated by Ferenc Mervel, F/5, 140 p., 1600 Ft, hardback The Gene - (The New Ways of Gene Research) Studies, edited by Egon Hídvégi, A/5, 330 p., 2800 Ft, hardback Sándor Karácsony: Awaking Hungarians Socio-psychological studies, B/5, 440 p., 3900 Ft, hardback Dezső Hildebrand Várkonyi: Blaise Pascal Studies, A/5, 340 p., 2800 Ft
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