The publisher exists since 1989. It was created first of all to issue contemporary literature but we have also published books on sociography, publicism, history, history of civilisation, philosophy or children's books. We have so far published about 300 titles, our range of authors represents almost all trends and age-groups of Hungarian contemporary belles-lettres. We also dedicate our attention to the works of young authors and to the present generation of writers and translators.
From 1989 on we publish A magyar irodalom évkönyve [The Annual of Hungarian Literature], the characteristic and important volume of the publisher. This volume enumerates Hungarian literary events, institutions, list of writers within and beyond the border of Hungary. The data are yearly checked and published updated.
The great enterprise of Széphalom, issueing the so far unpublished manuscripts of Nándor Várkonyi, belongs to the domain of culture of civilisation and philosophy. So far there have been 8 volumes of his life-work handed over to our readers. The first of these was the book titled Elveszett Paradicsom [The Lost Paradise] (1994), which is a polemical essay about questions of rationalist-materialist philosophy. The book Az ötödik ember I-III. [The Fifth Man] (1995-97) consists of 1506 printed pages, and it aims to map the history of ideas of mankind, it attempts to detect spiritual crossroads and deadlocks of modern times. Apart from this, we published Várkonyi Emlékkönyv [The Várkonyi Album] (1993), in which among others László Németh, Miklós Mészöly, Gyõzõ Csorba, László Bertók, the best Hungarian writers had written about their memories about the man they had known as an "autonomous spiritual institution". We continued the publishing of his so far unedited or censored manuscripts by issueing two volumes of Varázstudomány I-II. [Witchcraft]. In 2001 we published Az írás és a nyomtatás története. [The History of Writing and Printing].
In 1994 we took over the publishing of the life-work series of Anna Jókai. Since then we have issued 7 volumes of the Kossuth-Prize winner author (Vörös és vörös) [Red and Red], 1994; Három [Three], 1995; A feladat - Mindhalálig [The Duty - Until We Die], 1996; Az együttlét - A töve és a gallya [Being Together - The Stock and the Twig], 1997; Ne féljetek [Don't Be Afraid], 1998). All of these belong to the events of contemporary Hungarian literature. For the Book festival in 1998 we published the successful novel Ne féljetek [Don't Be Afraid]. The novel had a great success; in 2 years it was printed again 12 times and 12000 copies were sold. The writer was granted the Prize Novel of the Year 1998. For the Book Festival in 1999 the second edition of the famous novel of Anna Jókai Szegény Sudár Anna [Poor Anna Sudár] was published. Two novels in one volume followed: 4447 - Tartozik és követel [4447 - Credits and Debts] (1989), and the great novel Napok [Days].
László Krasznahorkai
belongs to the middle-generation of writers. He achieved a significant position among novelists already in the middle of the eighties. We have been publishing his books since 1992 (Az urgai fogoly [The Prisoner of Urga], 1992; A Theseus-általános [The Theseus-General], 1993; Sátántangó [Satan's Tango] - second edition, 1993). For the Book Festival in 1999 we published the second edition of his famous novel Az ellenállás melankóliája [The Melancholy of Resistance], which was chosen the best novel in foreign-language literature in Germany in 1993. In the winter of 2001 the publishing house Széphalom is going to publish a collection of Hungarian and German criticism of the works of László Krasznahorkai.
The series of Magyar Napló Könyvek was devoted to significant works of contemporary foreign poets and writers. The series has already 13 volumes. This is in a way a common enterprise with the periodical review Magyar Napló, ad the review also presents these literary authors and their works.
Our series Aranyhal [Goldfish] - launched in 1995 - is going to be published in the 11th volume of Magyar Napló Könyvek, which presents collected works of contemporary Hungarian literary historians and essayists like Miklós Béládi, Zoltán Bertha, Lívia Mohás, Imre Monostori, Péter Vasadi.
For the Bookfair in Frankfurt in 1999 we published an anthology of contemporary Hungarian poetry in English translated by Nicholas Kolumban, the American poet - who was born in Hungary. It has a preface written by Anna Dropick [The Science of In-Between], a professor of the University of Princeton. The poems in the anthology had already been published before in important American reviews. We have published a similar anthology in French.
The novel of Anna Jókai The Light for the World was translated to German for the Bookfair in Frankfurt in 1999 by Martha Szépfalusi-Wanner and published as a pre-edition. The publisher Széphalom carries promising negotiations about the first edition of the book with German publishers.
Anna Jókai: Das Licht für die Welt - Fürchtet euch nicht [The Light for the World - Don't Be Afraid] (Ne féljetek) (Novel translated by Martha Szépfalusi-Wanner, published by Széphalom Könyvmûhely, Budapest, 1999.)
It is a novel about getting old and die. At the same time it scopes the life of the four main characters. Although it takes place in the actual present, also the background of personal fates comes alive: the Horthy-era in Hungary between the two World Wars, the personal cult of the 50s, the period of the soft dictatorship. Then the hopes and disappointments of the change of the regime until 1997. It is the story of two women (a stewardess and a social worker) and two men (a psychiatrist and a lawyer) and also a story of the children, grandchildren and the great-grandparents. What is special about the novel is that not all of the 4 people know each other, although they relate to each other with strong bonds. The couples look for the old unlucky love. Their consciousness separates them from the daily reality. The exciting, not conventional story has an original form, which is required by its theme: the novel is a mystery play-like projection of the psycho-spiritual level. The general order of the action itself is hardly a background tone, it is hardly counterpointed.
The novel can be read in many ways: it is a medicine against death, perhaps a recommended way to initiation but at the same time a help to live worthy and die worthy. It is the story of a big unappeasable love: it is a time-novel and a description of an illness of the world in the turning of the millennium.
It is an exciting book, a decisive expression of opinion about the important experience: the quality of our lives relates to our death. But not pessimistically written: here flashes the light of death.
Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft I-II. (Varázstudomány)
Várkonyi's book, which remained in manuscripts elaborates a topic which from the beginning has been a contradictory one; culture seen from East to West: it's the world of spiritual appearances, still undiscovered because it is not repeated regularly, thus it cannot be materialised. In spite of this, it exists, proved by human experience again and again.
The thinking base-position of Várkonyi is also here original. He cannot accept that things that are difficult to understand and control - or things that cannot be repeated or examined in an empirical, experimental ways and methods - could be denied in the name of being scientific. Science is only correct, thinks Várkonyi, and can expect acknowledgement for its objectivity, it sets the limits of its knowledge and doesn't want to deny - just to pretend to be omnipotent and to be of universal validity - what by its methods and ways cannot be explained and examined. The scientist, who is really devoted to reality and not to his own profession, may not turn his eyes from the reality of spiritual appearances and capacities, or he would become one of those swindlers who disguise their ignorance by appearing initiated and take advantage of human helplessness and credulity and by claiming to be the owners of a knowledge they had never had.
Thus, Várkonyi's book touches again a delicate topic. With this book, in which he is trying to make a clear picture about real spiritual appearances and their misuse, Várkonyi may draw upon himself the anger of the scientists of materialism, the representatives of esoterism, of secret sciences.
The book contains lots of mythological and historical material to present the topic and employs a comprehensive philological arsenal.
Kolumban Nicholas: The Science of In-Between - An Anthology of Nineteen Contemporary Hungarian Poets (Box Turtle Press, New York - Széphalom, Budapest, 1999)
The anthology of the 19 Hungarian contemporary poets - from György Faludy, Sándor Csoóri, Sándor Kányádi, György Gömöri, Elemér Horváth, György Petri, Vince Sulyok to Zsuzsa Takács, Zsuzsa Kapecz, Gáspár Nagy, János Oláh - is a representative collection by the translator Nicholas Kolumban. All the poems in this book had already been published before in American reviews. The notes (written by the translator) present the Hungarian authors of the anthology. The concise introduction about the history and literature of Hungary was written by Anna Dropick, professor of the University of Princeton in New Jersey.
Anna Jókai: Poor Anna Sudár (novel - Collected Works of Anna Jókai-series)
The novel, written like a diary, is about the everyday-life of a woman in Transsylvania, about loving children and grandchildren and about how dictatorship invades even the most hidden corner of life.
Nándor Várkonyi: The Fifth Man I-III. (Cultural history with an epilogue by Katalin Mezey, László Vanyó and László Tõkéczki, and with a register of names)
Nándor Várkonyi, the significant cultural historian, philosopher and literary historian treats in his comprehensive work the ideas and great figures of Christian antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance, baroque and enlightenment until the turning of the century.
BOOKS OF THE PUBLISHING HOUSE SZÉPHALOM
1998-2002
1998
The Annual of Hungarian Literature 1997
Ed. Attila Buda, 320 p., 920 Ft
Ádám Bisztray: The Rose-garden Soup
Short stories, 135 p., 580 Ft
Daniel Boulanger: A Dangerous Favour
French short stories translated by young translators, 240 p., 690 Ft
László Bratka: Once Upon a Time
Poetry and prose, 160 p., 620 Ft
Mihály Hoppál: Folklore and Community
Text analyses, 260 p., 870 Ft
Béla Jávorszky: On the Land of Boats Sawn in Two
Notes about Baltic lands, 140 p., 580 Ft
Anna Jókai: Don't Be Afraid
Novel, 341 p., 1900 Ft, paperback 1500 Ft (Novel of the Year 1998)
Menyhért Lakatos: The Secret
Short stories, 120 p., 640 Ft
Adam Miczkiewicz: Books of the Polish People and the Polish Pilgrimage
Translated by Gábor Kazinczy, also in French and Polish
With a prologue by István D. Molnár and an epilogue by István Kovács
230 p., 1800 Ft
Lívia Mohás: The Dancer, the Politician and the Woman
Essay, 240 p., 780 Ft (Book of the Year 1998)
Yves Namur: The Book of Seven Gates
Poems (Magyar Napló Könyvek) translated by János Lackfi and György Timár
Arto Paasilinna: The Howling Miller
Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky (Magyar Napló Könyvek)
186 p., 730 Ft
Endre Rózsa: The Dreams of the Amuck Runner
Poems bequeathed, 144 p., 590 Ft
Ágoston Szauer A Small Book of the Novel
Short novel, 120 p., 590 Ft
József Tornai: Everything that Blooms
New poems, 140 p., 670 Ft
Göran Tunström: Letter of the Plains
Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky (Magyar Napló Könyvek)
175 p., 730 Ft
Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft, I.
536 p., 3300 Ft
Béla Vihar: Between the Straps
Selected poems with an epilogue by Ágnes Gergely, 680 Ft
1999
The Annual of Hungarian Literature 1998
Edited by Attila Buda, 380 p., 1200 Ft
Zsuzsa Albert: Post from the Present
New poems, 106 p., 680 Ft
Franco Cajani: Meditation in the Wind
Cycle in Hungarian an in Italian, translated from Italian by Ferenc Baranyi
170 p., 980 Ft
Lord of the Songs - An Anthology of Contemporary Australian Poets
Translated and notes by István Turczi and Judith Raphael Bukrich
164 p., 1200 Ft
Béla Fehér: Walking the Dog
Drama and radio plays; a common edition with Magyar Napló
140 p., 780 Ft
R. Peter Holm: In Backlight
Poems, translated from Norwegian by Vince Sulyok, 101 p., 580 Ft
Anna Jókai: The Light for the World - Don't Be Afraid
Novel, 9th unchanged edition, 342 p., 1800 Ft
Anna Jókai: Poor Anna Sudár
Novel - Anna Jókai Life-Work Series 336 p., 1980 Ft
The Miklós Jósika Album
(Miklós Jósika Life-Work Series) edited by Mihály Szajbély -
in Hungarian Flemish and French, 288 p., 1800 Ft
Jaan Kaplinski: The Naked Maple Trees
Poems translated from Estonian by Béla Jávorszky, 101 p., 680 Ft
Csaba Kiss Gy.: The Temptation of Freedom. Political Lessons
272 p., 980 Ft
Nicholas Kolumban: The Science of In-Between - An Anthology of Contemporary Hungarian Lyrics
(Common edition with Box Turtle Press in New York), 254 p., 1500 Ft
László Krasznahorkai: The Melancholy of Resistance
2nd edition, 384 p., 1500 Ft
Menyhért Lakatos: You Told the Future from the Palm
Poems, 66 p., 790 Ft
Maurice Maeterlinck: Pelléas and Mélisande
Dramas translated from French by Miklós Bárdos and János Lackfi
250 p., 1100 Ft
Stefánia Mándy: Scintilla
Poems, 170 p., 890 Ft
Gábor Margittai: The Clay-Boat
Essays, a common edition with Magyar Napló, 150 p., 730 Ft
Katalin Mezey: Paul Whoareyou in the Land of Doesn'texist
2nd edition of a tale-novel, a common edition with Új KÉZirat,
with 26 coloured illustration by Viola Berki, 112 p., 1790 Ft
Katalin Mezey: Paule Werbistedenn im Lande Gehtjanicht
Tale-novel, a common edition with Új KÉZirat, translated from Hungarian by Skirecki,
26 coloured illustration by Viola Berki, 112 p., 1790 Ft
Gábor Nagy: Lélekvesztõ
Poems, a common edition with Magyar Napló, 104 p., 680 Ft
János Oláh: An Unexpected Meeting - Váratlan találkozás
Poems in English and Hungarian translated by Nicholas Kolumban, 64 p., 53 Ft
Pál Pék: The Expulsion of the Lamb
New poems, 140 p., 700 Ft
Sándor Restár: Studies of Movement
Poems, 130 p., 530 Ft
Géza Röhrig: Night
New poems, 240 p., 890 Ft
Eszter Szakács: Another Place, Another Time
New poems, 101 p., 630 Ft
Lajos Szakolczay: Qualms of our Age
Essays, studies, criticism, 390 p., 1500 Ft
Ferenc Szempci Molnár: Hungarian Chronicle Song from the 18th century,
from the period of the seven-years-war
with studies by Mihály Zichy, József Zachar and Márton Szilágyi, and with facsimile pictures
1500 Ft
Nándor Várkonyi: The Fifth Man I-III-
With an epilogue by Katalin Mezey, László Vanyó and László Tõkéczki
1458 p., 6400 Ft
Vilmos Vass: A Brief History of the Hungarian Democratic Labour Movement
160 p., 880 Ft
Liliane Wouters: The Pilgrimage of Blood
Poems, translated from French by Krisztina Tóth, László Ferenczi and János Lackfi
192 p., 690 Ft
2000
The Annual of Hungarian Literature, 1999
Edited by Attila Buda, 380 p, 1400 Ft
Zsuzsa Albert: Post from the Present
New poems, 680 Ft
István Ágh: Like the poem in us
Essays and studies A/5, 452 p., 1600 Ft
Corrado Calabro: Sender Unknown
Poems in Italian and in Hungarian, A/5, 112 p., 1100 Ft
Mrs Jámbor, Tünde Balog: On the Stairs of Medard
Short stories, A/5, 168 p., 880 Ft
Anna Jókai: 4447 - Credits and Debts
Two novels, life-work series, B/5, 382 p., 2200 Ft
Miklós Jósika: Letters from Brussels
A/5, 150 p., 1800 Ft
Márton Kalász: The Rose Painter
Poems, 140 p., 890 Ft
Ryszard Kapuscinsky: Ebony
Report essays from Africa, A/5, 312 p., 1500 Ft
Benedek Kiss - Katalin Mezey - József Utassy: Strange World
Poems for children, illustrated by Krisztina Rényi, 104 p., 980 Ft
Book of the Year 2000
Miklós Kolumbán: Flares on Water
Poems in English and in Hungarian, A/5, 142 p., 980 Ft
László Krasznahorkai: Tango de Satan
A novel in French, A/5, 288 p., 2800 Ft
Balázs Lengyel: The Silver Groat
A novel for young people, A/5, 296 p., 1390 Ft
Vilmos Molnár: About the Salary of the Reader
Short stories, A/5, 156 p., 880 Ft
Menyhért Lakatos: Smoky Pictures
4th edition, 456 p., 1690 Ft
Rhapsody of Refugees (Polish People in Hungary 1939-1945)
B/5, 632 p., 3500 Ft
Béla Pomogáts: Variations on the Avantgarde
Studies, essays (Aranyhal-series), 250 p., 1100 Ft
Géza Röhrig: Island
New poems, 152 p., 980 Ft
Gyula Rugási: Fresco from the 20th century. Studies on Gyõzõ Határ
140 p., 830 Ft
Drifting Mankind
Essays on Nándor Várkonyi's The Fifth Man, 172 p., 980 Ft
István Szathmári: Kurds in the City
Short stories, 180 p., 980 Ft, Book of theYear 2000
Lajos Szigeti: The Rolling Sea of Light
New poems, 84 p., 600 Ft
Sándor Tatay: The Book of my Surprises - The Time of Loafing About
Two biographical novels (Sándor Tatay life-work series, 1st volume)
380 p., 1690 Ft
Göran Tunström: Moonflame
Novel translated by Béla Jávorszky, 230 p., 1390 Ft
Francisca Van Vloten: A Cruelly Beautiful Heritage (The Story of the Góth Artist Family)
An album of fine arts and a monography, translated by Judit Gera
162 p., 3500 Ft
Nándor Várkonyi: Witchcraft, II.
538 p., 3500 Ft
2001
The Annual of Hungarian Literature, 2000
A/5, coloured, paperback, 400 p., 1590 Ft
G.L. Durlacher: The Drowning Man
Novel, B/6, paperback, 120 p., 980 Ft
Ö. Szabolcs Barlay: Flower on the Ruins
History of art, 2nd edition, 392 p., 1500 Ft
László Bratka: Cloudy
Short stories, 80 p., 790 Ft
Sándor Csoóri: Shavings on the Floor
Essays, A/5, 350 p., 1500 Ft
Eszter Forrai: Cloud-burst
New poems, 56 p., 590 Ft
Anna Földes: The Book of the Irodalmi Ujság
Monography, A/5, 380 p., + 4 A/3 newspaper sheets
Lorenza Franco: Meghatározatlan - Indefinito
Poems in Italian and in Hungarian, 112 p., 980 Ft
Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir: Rain in Rejkyavík
Poems, 112 p., 980 Ft
Anna Jókai: Days
Novel B/5, hardback, 3950 Ft
Endre Miklóssy: Beyond the Tower Built from Dust by the Wind
Hungarian thinkers from the 20th century: portrays of
L. Fülep, B. Hamvas, S. Karácsony, K. Kerényi, L. Szabó, N. Várkonyi)
A/5, 410 p., 2500 Ft
Márió Papp: Fine, Thanks
New poems, 138 p., B/6 890 Ft
Roma Kincses Kalendárium, 2001
In Hungarian and in Gypsy language, A/5, 400 p., 2500 Ft
Pál Salamon: The Wedding
Novel, A/5 224 p., 1800 Ft
Iván Szabó: Walls of Glass
Autobiographical novel, A/5, 400 p., 2500 Ft
János Szávai - Alain Lance (ed.): Nouvelle poésie hongroise 1970-2000
Hungarian poetry in French - a common edition with the Éditions Caractéres)
Paperback, 155 FF
Ernõ Szenti: Washing Time
New poems, A/5, 120 p., 850 Ft
János Szentmártoni: Here, on the Paper
New poems, A/5, 112 p., 890 Ft
Tomas Tranströmer: 117 Poems
Selected poems, A/5, 200 p., 1190 Ft
Nándor Várkonyi: The History of Writing and the Book
Culture of civilisation, 450 p., 3500 Ft
Sándor Csoóri: Silent Agoraphobia
Coloured, hardback, 220 p., 1800 Ft
Balázs Lengyel: Who Meets Himself?
Essays in history of literature, 265 p., 1800 Ft, paperback
Léna Szilárd: Andrej Belij and the Poetics of the Russian Symbolist Novel
History of literature, 280 p., 1900 Ft, paperback
2002
Tibor Keresztury (ed.): The Hungarian and German Reception of László Krasznahorkai's Works
Translated by József Grudl, 240 p., paperback
László Bárdos: Self-Knowledge and Initiation (A Monography of Anna Jókai)
Monography, F/5, 218 p., 1800 Ft, hardback
Sándor Restár: Borrowed Humility
Collected poems, 260 p., 1600 Ft, paperback
Tomas Tranströmer: Memories Can See
Translated from Swedish by Ferenc Mervel, 80 p., 1000 Ft, hardback
Anthology of 20th Century Danish Poets
Translated by Vince Sulyok, 250 p., 1600 Ft, paperback
Eszter Szakács: Dream Talk
New Poems, 74 p., 1100 Ft, paperback
Vince Sulyok: You Live in Your Yesterday
Poems, 118 p., 1100 Ft, paperback
József Rigó: In the Closure of the Heartbeat
Poems, 198 p., 1400 Ft, paperback
Nicholas Kolumban: The Intricate Adventures of an Alien
Novel, 258 p., 1800 Ft, paperback
Anna Jókai: The Tongue of the Balance - I. Part
Studies, 312 p., 2500 Ft, hardback
Tünde Balog, Mrs. Jámbor: My Calendar
Special articles of ethnographical inspiration, with drawings of the author,
268 p., 1600 Ft, hardback
Mihály Balázsovics: Letters from the Hill-side
An autobiographical novel, 250 p., 1600 Ft, paperback
Péter Vasadi: The Water-Scent of the Revolt
Poems, 110 p., 1300 Ft, paperback
The Annual of Hungarian Literature 2001,
Edited by Judit Baranyai and Katalin Mezey, 400 p., paperback
Nándor Várkonyi: Columns of Siriat
Uncensored, illustrated, black-and-white complete edition,
676 p., 4900 Ft, hardback
Judith Herzberg: Things
Poems, translated by Judit Gera, 100 p., 1300 Ft, hardback
Carl Friedman: Two Full Suitcases
Novel, translated by Miklós Fenyves, 152 p., 1500 Ft, hardback
János Csontos: XL
Poems, 402 p., 1800 Ft, hardback
Anna Jókai: The Stock and the Branch
Essays (3rd edition), B/5, 126 p., 1500 Ft, hardback
Books to be published
Jarkko Laine: The Poem I Always Wanted to Write
Poems, translated by Béla Jávorszky, Lajos Szopori Nagy, János Banos, József Tornai, István Turczi
Lars Gustafsson: Near the Inconceivable
Short stories, translated by Ferenc Mervel, F/5, 140 p., 1600 Ft, hardback
The Gene - (The New Ways of Gene Research)
Studies, edited by Egon Hídvégi, A/5, 330 p., 2800 Ft, hardback
Sándor Karácsony: Awaking Hungarians
Socio-psychological studies, B/5, 440 p., 3900 Ft, hardback
Dezsõ Hildebrand Várkonyi: Blaise Pascal
Studies, A/5, 340 p., 2800 Ft
Mezey Katalin