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Digital World

The team

December 16, 2014

Paperback or e-book? The makers of "Gutenberg in the Cyberstorm" share their favorite reads - from classic German poetry to international bestellers - and how they consume them.

https://p.dw.com/p/1E7IB
Kate Müser during filming for 'Gutenberg in the Cyberstorm,' Copyright: DW/S. Lenz-Gleissner
Image: DW/Susanne Lenz-Gleißner

Kate Müser (Host):
"I haven't read a paper book in two years. I find e-books practical and user friendly. I most enjoy reading contemporary German-language novels that explain the Germans and their society, like "Tschick" (Wolfgang Herrendorf), "Herr Lehmann" (Sven Regener) or "Russendisko" (Vladimir Kaminer). But one of my very favorite books - in which a book actually plays a major role - was written by a Spanish author: "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafòn.

Susanne Lenz-Gleissner (Director, author, reporter):
"I enjoy novels that experiment with form and language, such as 'There Were Many Horses" by Luiz Ruffato or "Extremely Loud and Incrediby Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer."

Bettina Kolb (Author and camerawoman):
"I am currently reading 'Bleed Edge' by Thomas Pynchon - on paper, not digitally."

Samira Schellhaass (Author):
"I am very active in the digital world and enjoy reading Twitter poetry. My favorite poem, however, is a classic: 'Mondnacht' by Joseph von Eichendorff."

Thomas Koppehele (Cameraman):
"My favorite photography volume: Lee Friedlander's 'Self-Portraits.'"

Cem Mete (Cutter):
"I have many favorite authors, like Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Irvine Welsh - just to name a few."

Maria Regenspurger, (Graphic designer):
"My favorite illustrators are Tomi Ungerer and Wilhelm Busch."

Simone Hüls (Graphic designer):
"My favorite photographer: Elliot Erwitt."

Claudia Unseld (Website):
"'Gut gegen Nordwind' (Good against the North Wind) by Daniel Glattauer was my first favorite book-on-tape and still is. It's an e-mail novel about a hopeless Internet romance, read by real-life acting couple Andrea Sawatzki and Christian Berkel."

Rolf Rische (Producer, head of DW Culture):
"I can't say that I have a single favorite author. It's more that I treat books (in my case, printed books) like a vacuum cleaner. I absorb them in huge quantities and accept a thoroughly unsound diversity of form and content. It's likely pure curiosity that can at times make even a very bad book satisfying.

"If I had to pick a favorite book or author, it would be Nick Hornby, who wrote "High Fidelity," simply because the book speaks to my two passions: reading and music. Best quote from the book: 'I can tell you how I got from Deep Purple to Howling Wolf in just 25 moves.' It was predominantly the passage of time that led me from Deep Purple to my current favorite band, Milky Chance. And it certainly took more than 25 moves.

"When it comes to German authors, Sven Regener is at the top of my list. He's a fantastic writer - and he's a musician, too."