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Helga King in conversation with the publisher, Miriam Zoeller

Lady Zoeller, these days I have reviewed the book "The Divine Comedy " from your publisher. Here I would like to ask you some questions.

Helga King: It is certainly a risk, a book like the "Divine Comedy" to move as hard copy, since there are zillions of them already paperback editions. What prompted you to take that risk and have been a market analysis done?

The publisher Miriam Zoeller

Miriam Zoeller : Actually, I go with any book that I do run a risk. With such a complex and expensive book like the "Divina Commedia" the risk is, of course, is many times higher, than in a pure text volume. But here and there - every publishing program decisions are preceded by market and competitive analysis. With the "Divine Comedy" I fulfilled a dream as Romance languages. Long ago I had Dante are on my list of desiderata, the Botticelli anniversary Last year was then led to realize this project at last.

Helga King: Who will advise the design of the book?

Miriam Zoeller : The design finally have my husband and I Lothar Wekel set. First was the question of which format to get such a band - and it was clear that there must be extraordinary. To this end, we asked for the printing of different patterns. Then we voted ourselves with the translator who did this several layouts - by then the "ideal form and shape" for the book set.

Helga King

Helga King: Was it difficult to obtain rights for the illustrations? Can you tell about yourself?

Miriam Zoeller : Yes, that was no easy task! The illustrations presented here come from a superb manuscript, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de 'Medici, a second cousin of the famous Lorenzo il Magnifico de' Medici had placed in order. Originally, the codex 102 leaves, of which are still preserved in 92 85 in the Prints and Drawings in Berlin, seven in the Vatican Apostolic Library. Eight leaves (to Inferno II - VII, XI and XIV) are considered missing and two others (XXXII and XXXIII of Paradiso) were eventually lost in Berlin after the Auseinzelung of the leaves. The templates that we received from Berlin, were all photographed with the mounts, so we had to edit all the images again in order to integrate them according to our ideas and in the corresponding high-quality in the book. That was infinitely tedious and expensive. But it was worth it!

Helga King : How big are the images in the original?

Miriam Zoeller : The leaves of the Codex have a format of 32 x 47 cm, on which are the (full page) illustrations.

Helga King: What do the images you with respect to Dante's text?

Miriam Zoeller : The pictures are for me in some ways, of particular importance:

Ad 1) The Botticelli's illustrations are from an expressivity that is unparalleled. Botticelli had intensively with Dante's work and this is in the visual design of his pen drawings clearly.

Ad 2) It was the only time that the painter Botticelli operated as a book illustrator.

Ad 3) The illustrations are a wonderful translation of the mighty epic that Dante has created, and a kind of "sum of the medieval knowledge is" into the visual.

Helga King : The price of the book is extremely low, for what it offers. The profit should therefore be small. What drove you to to go through with this project yet?

Miriam Zoeller : first, the desire to enrich my program one of the greatest works of world literature, which I as a student with the greatest pleasure and surprise, I opened up. And the other was the Botticelli anniversary as a "hook" a wonderful opportunity, "Dante" the general public to call back to mind. The two possible introductions to the poet and illustrator it to every reader to classify the work. Last of course, because there are no more beautiful edition of the "Divine Comedy" is.

Helga King : Advertise in newspapers and magazines for your always so incredibly inexpensive, and bound books is the concept of "Books for All" on?

Miriam Zoeller : Advertising is for a small house like the marixverlag unfortunately limited because I do not have big marketing budgets. They have brought the credo of pricing wonderfully to the point: to make books that are affordable for everyone! The concept works on the whole, even if it tweaks here and there because, of course, not everyone is entitled ...

Helga King : Sold your "Divine Comedy" in bookstores rather than on the Internet, because you're there you can perceive the beauty of the book with his senses?

Miriam Zoeller : Undoubtedly, the stationary point in this trade at an advantage because he can persuade directly by the tactile experience, the visible and tangible quality, the unusual format and not least the aesthetics of the design of the reader. Nevertheless, the work sold in the Internet trade is very good.

Helga King: What do you draw from the essence of Dante's text?

Miriam Zoeller

Miriam Zoeller : In the Divina Commedia Dante's great love Beatrice died, a monument, and posterity the other hand, it should be used for teaching, by his own religious and moral rebirth poetically describes. The work is so visually stunning and tight - as I already mentioned above, a "sum of the medieval knowledge" - that I can no simple "bottom line" to be drawn. It is the "eternal questions" that move the people, and describe the Dante with his philosophical and theological scholarship searches. The beauty of the Divine Comedy "is that they also can read today with great profit - it is a treasure chest that you must open only to the immortal greatness to do the work.

Helga King : Must one be a believer to understand Dante in the core really?

Miriam Zöller: No, I do not think that alone makes the understanding of the faith - he can possibly help. The important thing in reading Dante's historical awareness of the former afterlife or the openness to understand this work from its historical context.

Lady Zoeller, thank you very much for this enlightening interview.

your Helga King.

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