The Spring of Kasper Meier by Ben Fergusson will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 11 August.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
The Spring of Kasper Meier
The war is over and Berlin is a desolate sea of rubble. There is a shortage of everything: food, clothing, tobacco. Kasper Meier is just one of the Germans who finds his solution is to trade on the black market to feed himself and his elderly father. He can find anything that people need, for the right price.
When Eva, arrives at Kasper’s door seeking the whereabouts of a British pilot, he feels a reluctant sympathy for her but refuses interfere in military affairs. Eva is prepared for this. Kasper has secrets, she knows them, and she’ll use them to get what she wants. As the threats against him mount, Kasper is drawn into a world he could never have anticipated. Why is Eva so insistent that he find the pilot? Who is the shadowy Frau Beckmann and what is her hold over Eva?
Under constant surveillance, Kasper navigates the dangerous streets and secrets of a city still reeling from the horrors of war and defeat. He must work out who is behind Eva’s demands, and why – all the while trying to save himself, his father and Eva.
Selection panel review
The book was very popular with our selection panel. This is what they had to say:
“In post-war Berlin life is a struggle to survive. Food and fuel are sparse, tensions between Germans, Russians and British run high, and living somewhat outside the law is the only way to survive. Kasper Meier is a small-time black market trader, who meets a woman looking for information, but there is much more to the deal than meets the eye.
The story delves into the tragic love story of Kasper’s life before the war, and is filled with murder, blackmail and revenge. Can anyone find redemption in a city that has been broken by war? A touching, gripping tale that I found by the end almost brought me to tears. Highly recommended.”
“Beautiful writing and imagery, good atmosphere, sense of time and place, an interesting cast of characters, dialogue which brings the story alive and a page turning plot combine to make this an excellent read.”
About the author
Ben Fergusson is a writer, editor and translator and has worked for ten years as an editor and publisher in the art world.
His short fiction has appeared in publications in both the UK and the US and has won and been shortlisted for a range of prizes. From 2009-2010 he edited the literary journal Chroma and since 2013 has been the editor of the short story magazine Oval Short Fiction.
A word from Ben
I am so thrilled that The Spring of Kasper Meier has been selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. Not to mention what an honour it is to be selected for my debut novel. It’s been five years since I first put finger-to-keyboard and started writing the first draft, and at that point wasn’t even picturing its publication, let alone book clubs, radio interviews and BBC listeners. It is a very surreal experience to finally have the hard copy in my hands and to be signing and reading from it.
I remember my eleven-year-old self practising his signature, imagining signing the novels he wanted to write when he was a grown up, so I’m very happy for him that the ‘F’ loop he invented in 1991 has finally been put to its intended use. Being published is of course incredibly exciting, and a life-long dream, but is also pretty nerve-wracking – it feels very exposing finally sending The Spring of Kasper Meier out into the wide world all on its own, without me there to hold its hand. Despite that trepidation, I can’t wait to hear what readers think of the book.
Get involved
Win a set of 10 copies of The Spring of Kasper Meier for your Reading Group by completing this survey by 11 August.
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 11 August to hear a live interview with Ben Fergusson talking about his book.
Have you read The Spring of Kasper Meier? You can share your thoughts on Twitter using #R2BookClub and #KasperMeier, or you can post a comment in the space below.
Want to find out more? The Radio 2 Book Club now has a dedicated Twitter feed, and you can also follow the author Ben Fergusson.
