Slow Book

A mindset, a shift in perspective and a promise. The movement for sustainability in publishing.

At Edition 5Haus we make books sustainable experiences. We only produce a few books a year. That saves resources. On the other hand we invest in local production, with eco-friendly inks and the FSC stamp, in a creative and innovative programme of events and modern forms of cooperation.

How can we open up new approaches to books as items of cultural heritage?
What are sustainable books?
What responsibilities do we have as publishers?

The questions that repeatedly cause us to reflect and rethink are many and varied. The answer is always the same: We actively and consciously slow down the production of books and make them a sustainable experience.

We invest in activities relating to books so they can be enjoyed and experienced for a long time to come. This opens up new avenues for spreading information about literature and knowledge in general, creates ways of approaching books and underscores the significance of books as works of art. Reading concerts, puzzle hunts, analogue and digital worlds of discovery make books things to come back to and explore over long periods.

We write our books for people, no matter how long they’ve been in this world of ours. Our aim is that our books are read by every generation and for generations – to us, that’s sustainability too.

ASAGAN

(Hi)story
The ASAGAN series of books combines real history with new, fictional adventures illustrated with prints dating back as far as 500 years and populated by bold, mischievous and modern heroines and heroes.

Travel through time with the Danube Pirates and Blondel the Troubadour … meet King Richard the Lionheart, the Danube mermaid and Robin Hood! A story about strong friendships and the power of song.

Beautifully illustrated with prints dating back as far as 500 years, the multi-award-winning collective ASAGAN uncovers historic treasures and combines them with modern heroes and daring adventures.

More than a book!
In ASAGAN, the book as a medium is reimagined with the addition of dynamic digital and analogue elements. This opens up new approaches and options for communication and interaction that make the book a long-lasting experience!

ASAGAN puzzle hunts and creative workshops
In the puzzle hunts created by ArchäoNOW, families and children go off on a treasure hunt and discover the city with the characters and stories from ASAGAN. In creative workshops, children learn how the ASAGAN books are created and write their own stories!

Acclaimed as „One of Austria’s most beautiful books”, ASAGAN captivates young readers aged 5 to 105. A whole ASAGAN universe has now emerged: books and CDs, events of all kinds, workshops and reading concerts in museums, schools and on other large stages. Bäckermaus & Donaustrudel is the 7th ASAGAN book and was selected for inclusion in the collection of works for the Austrian children’s and young people’s book

Wolfgang Hartl is a graphic designer, illustrator and author. Apart from taking part in and developing nu-merous exhibitions and cultural initiatives he also creates art projects all over the world. Together with Erika Friedl he illustrates the world of ASAGAN. Mia Kirsch is an author of children’s books in Vienna. She loves taking long journeys into the world of ASAGAN and beyond.

Butterfly, Make Troubles Fly!

„Butterfly, Make Troubles Fly!” encourages us to embrace our worries, understand them, listen to them and talk about them. Constant worries can then change - like a sheet of paper when you fold it: they become softer, warmer, more colourful, lighter. Perhaps one of them will even turn out to be a guide, a companion.

„A book that moves. For children and adults alike.” – Dr. Udo Baer

„Butterfly, Make Troubles Fly” is the picture book to the song by MiA.

Magda Hassan is an author specialising in children’s books. As Mia Kirsch she is part of the ASAGAN artists’ collective.

Sonja Stangl is an award-winning illustrator and visual communicator. She has always been interested in the interplay of different fields in the creative industries.

What counts is you

Press reviews

“A story that gives confidence – fantastically illustrated.” – Kirstin Breitenfellner, Falter

“A book both mysterious and wise, touching many levels on only a few pages, colourful, sparkling, with a cut-out cheetah mask.” – Jan Drees, Deutschlandfunk

“Via an encounter with a magnificent cheetah the book carefully approaches the unknown and reveals that in all that seems strange and alien there is something of ourselves and that differences can be a positive thing. A sensitive and beautifully illustrated tale.” – ORF Topos

“The backdrop for a discovery of oneself and the other.” – Heidi Lexe, Die Furche

“Light-footed as a cheetah, which stands for the unknown, the pictures and text of this tale show with wonderful circumspection how fears are overcome. With an approach both metaphorical and physical, the strangeness of the unfamiliar is lessened in the company of the nameless narrator and, by shifting perspective, recognised as belonging to some extent to ourselves. A parable of the fear-inducing unknown, which is zoomed in on through the telling – with a subtle tone and winning illustrations that make it possible to grasp and experience the unknown as part of ourselves.” – Alexandra Hofer, STUBE – Studien- und Beratungsstelle für Kinder- und Jugendliteratur

Raffaela Schöbitz is a freelance illustrator and author from Vienna. Her work is marked by inventiveness and playful experimentation with different techniques. With her pictures she tells stories. Her love of detail opens up seve-ral narrative levels and invites readers to discover their own stories. Raffaela Schöbitz has won several awards.

Magda Hassan is an author specialising in children’s books. As Mia Kirsch she is part of the ASAGAN artists’ collective. Her book ASAGAN – Bäckermaus & Donaustrudel was included in the collection of works for the Austrian children’s and young people’s book awards in 2022. For her, creativity means removing boundaries so that every book can be experienced as a work of art, irrespective of the reader’s age.

A little mouse
I’d like to be 

as colourful as its characters

Do you also have moments when you simply don’t recognise yourself? And wish you were something completely different? Like an animal, for instance: maybe a cat, a monkey or even an elephant! Heut’ da bin ich eine Maus is an invitation on a journey of discovery that ends with a wonderfully versatile multi-layered ME. A voyage of discovery through the animal kingdom!

* In 12 verses with rhymes that surprise
* Humorously and colourfully illustrated throughout
* With loads to find, and definitely moreish!
* With a song by Kiri Rakete!

Franziska Höllbacher is an illustrator and designer. She loves Denglish, cats and too much ketchup. She studied at the university of applied sciences in Salzburg, graduating in media design in 2021. She now lives in Bavaria with her cat and her partner.

Kiri Rakete writes enchanting children’s songs with meaning, heart and soul that encourage kids to listen, sing along, dance and smile. In her songs she sings about chameleons in love, city kids in Vienna, friendship, saucepans, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Italian recycling, cheesy feet, and every animal under the sun. A feast for the ears for music lovers young and old! Kiri also runs music courses for infants in Vienna!

Napoleon sleeps with Mona Lisa

Napoleon – The Whole Truth

Witty, offbeat, inventive: Over 200 illustrations from two centuries present one of the most controversial figures in history. With subtle humour, Stefan Schlögl and Wolfgang Hartl reveal the whole truth about the emperor of fake news.

How many of the stories we are told about Napoleon Bonaparte, his master-strokes, foibles and love life are actually true? How much of it is mere rumour? And what tricks did the politically astute strategist use to set himself up as the first master of fake news?

Now we proudly present: The whole truth! Illustrator Wolfgang Hartl and author Stefan Schlögl set off on the trail of the great little Corsican. Their investigations not only reveal „alternative facts“ and legends but also offer an interpretation of Napoleon, the myth, that reaches to the present day.

The book plays brilliantly with historical propaganda and the power of images and brings history back to life with its meticulously reworked engravings and prints.

What is fact? What is fake? You decide!

Have a Look!

Press Review

“A brilliant book that provokes an ever-stronger urge to see what comes next, like an Instagram/TikTok session.” “Historytainment at its best.” – Paul Pant, Radio FM4

“Wolfgang Hartl places these historic illustrations of purported reality in a new context and, by doing so, manages to transform them into a surprisingly modern aesthetic style fitting for the age of social media.” – Süddeutsche Zeitung

“Bonaparte’s story makes for an entertaining and pleasantly satisfying read.” Hartl and Schlögl cast Napoleon in a new and unfamiliar light.” – Stefan May, Radio Ö1 Kontext on non-fiction books and topics

“An educational book as amusing as it is inventive.” – Freizeit.at Kurier

“An achievement for our times.“ “Remaining critical and intelligent among all the light-heartedness, that’s the accomplishment of this work.” – Gerald Heidegger, orf.at

“An astute book.” ”Schlögl and Hartl have shown daring on two fronts.” – Oliver Grimm, Die Presse

“Elegant and incisive.” – “A feast for the eyes.” – Kirstin Breitenfellner, Falter, Bücher-Herbst

“An incredible compendium.” – “I read it in a single night.” – Johannes Kößler, book recommendation, ORF Guten Morgen Österreich