Posted by Naomi Firestone-Teeter
Friedrich Torberg was born in Vienna in 1908 to a Jewish family, but was forced to emigrate to France in 1938 due to Nazi persecution. From there he moved to America and then ultimately back to Vienna in 1951, where he died in 1979. Written in 1930, Torberg’s Young Gerber was a response to a recent wave of schoolboy suicides and tells the story of a schoolboy driven to madness by his bullying teacher. In November, Pushkin Press will publish Anthea Bell’s translation of Torberg’s novel with this beautiful cover:
Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Naomi is the CEO of Jewish Book Council. She graduated from Emory University with degrees in English and Art History and, in addition, studied at University College London. Prior to her role as executive director, Naomi served as the founding editor of the JBC website and blog and managing editor of Jewish Book World. In addition, she has overseen JBC’s digital initiatives, and also developed the JBC’s Visiting Scribe series and Unpacking the Book: Jewish Writers in Conversation.
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