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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Publishing sensation Nelio Biedermann urges readers to fight false historical narratives

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Swiss writer Nelio Biedermann, 23, has sold 200,000 copies of his novel “Lázár” in Germany, with the book set for translation into 27 languages and a film adaptation.
  • Drawing on his family’s aristocratic Hungarian history, the novel follows the fictional von Lázár lineage through Europe’s turbulent 20th century.
  • Biedermann says literature should challenge false versions of history, particularly amid the rise of far-right political forces.

At 23, Swiss writer Nelio Biedermann has become an international publishing phenomenon. His novel “Lázár,” based on his family’s history, has sold 200,000 copies in Germany and is about to be translated into 27 languages. Its film rights have also been sold, while Salamandra is publishing the Spanish edition.

The novel draws on the story of Biedermann’s aristocratic Hungarian family and traces a fictional lineage, the von Lázárs, through Europe’s turbulent 20th century. It opens with the birth of Lajos, a transparent-eyed, blue-eyed boy, in a castle near a forest. His arrival helps drive the family toward madness as the old order begins to collapse.

the more I wrote, the more parallels emerged

· Nelio BiedermannHe described unexpected parallels between his novel and current events.

Biedermann said he did not set out to create a mirror of the present. But as he wrote, he said, “the more I wrote, the more parallels emerged.” Speaking at a news conference in Barcelona, he added that his novels are not based on political ideas.

very important to fight the false narrative of history, to act and to root the truth in the consciousness of the population

· Nelio BiedermannHe responded to a question about the global rise of far-right political forces.

Asked about the rise of the far right around the world, however, he said it was “very important to fight the false narrative of history, to act and to root the truth in the consciousness of the population.” He described that as a task for art and literature, saying the narratives promoted by these political forces and their impact on the masses were discouraging, but also a reason to act rather than give in to demoralization.

Biedermann began considering a book inspired by his family history when he was 16. His grandmother repeatedly told stories, including the traumatic flight from Hungary to Switzerland, but presented them as adventures. Those memories led him to explore daily life in the period, including how people spoke, dressed, ate and earned money. “It was about bringing light into the darkness through fiction and my imagination,” he said.

It was about bringing light into the darkness through fiction and my imagination

· Nelio BiedermannHe explained why he began writing a novel inspired by his family history.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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