Mohrbooks takes over Anoukh Foerg
Munich and Zurich, November 2023: Literary agent Anoukh Foerg announces she is stepping back from the industry at the end of the year, selling her agency to Mohrbooks.
„I consider it a huge privilege to be leaving on my own terms and on a high note.» Anoukh Foerg, an agent since 1990 started her career at Agence Hoffman and established her own agency in Munich in 2009, representing German translation rights for renowned authors like Cecelia Ahern, Margaret Atwood, Bonnie Garmus, Elizabeth George, Jojo Moyes, Ian Rankin or Nicholas Sparks.
Like Foerg, Mohrbooks represents German translation rights for US and international agents and publishers. Its history reaches back to 1937, when Simon & Schuster became one of the agency’s first clients.
«It’s a perfect match, and circumstances couldn’t be better,» both parties agree.
Mohrbooks› CEO and owner, Sebastian Ritscher deeply appreciates Anoukh Foerg, «a successful colleague of utmost integrity. My team and I feel fortunate and grateful for this opportunity. We warmly welcome Anoukh’s coworker and all of her clients!»
Germany, with its rich history of publishing diverse voices in translation, and its regulated book prices, is one of the world’s biggest and most highly developed markets in publishing. But the burgeoning competition from domestic writers and the rise of English readership means that selling translation rights is getting more complex and dynamic. With a bigger and more diverse list of clients, a bigger team of agents, and its new branch in Germany’s publishing capital, Mohrbooks is confident the acquisition will widen the outreach for all its clients. «We are dedicated to preserving the continuity of international voices in German publishing,» Ritscher concludes.
Under the leadership of Marie Arendt, Mohrbooks› team of three in Munich will represent Anoukh Foerg’s clients and report to Zurich where Sebastian Ritscher, Annelie Geissler, and a team of ten coworkers will remain in place.
The company’s contact details will remain largely unchanged, and updates will be available on the company’s website on January 1st, 2024, when the acquisition becomes effective.