Stephan Niederwieser is author of more than twenty books - novels, short stories and erotic guides. After working for different German publishing companies, he is now the new Head of the photobook department at Bruno Gmünder Publishing.

What appeals to you most about a change from text to picture?

It brings me back to my roots. In the early 1980s I started with researching pictures for illustrated books in New York. At that time in the old traditional way: to seek out photo archives, announcing the subjects, getting hundreds of slides which had to be examined with a magnifying glass. I brought my selection to the publisher on foot! Sounds like the Stone Age, inconceivable today! But that’s how I learned how to judge. Back in Germany I was working for some of the biggest media houses: at the publishing house Burda for magazines like Bunte and Focus. At Condé Nast for Vogue where I had to arrange and coordinate big shootings. There I got to know photographers like Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton. Later I turned my attention more and more to literature.
Another point: Now I don’t have to earn money with my writing. That allows me to be more creative – a luxury most artists can only dream of!

Are there any author’s experiences which you could draw upon in your new position?

Definitely to tell stories. Illustrated books look often like somebody had only put some pictures in a row. We at Bruno Gmünder try to tell stories with pictures that lead beyond themselves. We want to provide our readers or viewers an insight into previously barred worlds!

What releases can we look forward to?

The first thing I did was to re-publish our companies highlights in a handy, pocket book size of 5,25 x 7,5". A sort of little brother to our huge and extensive books of the main program. The name of this collection is Greats* - and we’ve got all our bestsellers: Giovanni, Joe Philipps, Lindsay Lozon, Bel Ami, Kristen Bjorn, Jonathan Black.
We’ve planned some real scoops for this autumn. New releases from classic artists like Howard Roffman and David Vance. There will also be spectacular books from newcomers like Mark Henderson, who’s fascinated by the European baroque era. His inimitable pictures of beautiful, half naked and dressed in fur men, are modified into Chiaroscuro paintings.
The photos of Exterface are generated like movies. The two young artists and directors from Paris use a written script. Their pictures get worked over: adjusted and repainted. In that way unseen, self contained miniatures develop.
Traders will be pleased to hear that we’ve got two books of well known porn labels. Raging Stallion with hairy, masculine men like Steve Cruz and Lucas Entertainment with good looking fashion models. Both books get a layout which will perfectly fit the studios.

What are your personal highlights for the rest of this year?

Of course we try to publish highlights only. Every single book will be a highlight in its own way. Probably the most unusual project will be a book from Justin Monroe. Attentive magazine readers will know him. Justin’s images cannot simply be regarded as photos. He produces lavish artworks similar to those from David LaChapelle. Every picture tells an entire story and it takes time to understand them. We’ve chosen the title "Down the Rabbit Hole" because in one photo spreads (including the book cover) he re-tells "Alice in Wonderland" in a gay version. A bright idea, creatively implemented.
But we should not forget our smaller jewels: David Cantero for instance, the Spanish illustrator who studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liège and worked for Renault and Zara. In "Club Life" we present a collection of his flyers and party posters, for which he is know for well beyond the Spanish borders.

Will you find the time to write a new novel?

Not at the moment. But I don’t miss writing. I just continue to tell my stories in another media.

posted in Interviews, Announcements on 26.06.2008