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Cologne mourns Klaus Willbrand: the antiquarian who became a star!
Klaus Willbrand, Cologne antiquarian and literary agent, is posthumously celebrated with “Simply Literature”; his legacy as a social media star remains alive.
Cologne mourns Klaus Willbrand: the antiquarian who became a star!
What's going on in Cologne? A look at the literary legacy of Klaus Willbrand, who died almost two years ago, reveals a fascinating story. The former antiquarian from Sülz became a social media star overnight when he began sharing videos about literature on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram in spring 2024. This surprising turn in his life came late, but with a bang: he quickly had around 150,000 followers on Instagram and around 50,000 on TikTok, which established him as a real “bookfluencer” in the literary world. As the World reports, Klaus Willbrand celebrated his 82nd birthday on August 5th, and his death on January 29th, 2023 has left a significant gap in Cologne's literary life.
Who was Klaus Willbrand? Born in Essen and raised in Leverkusen, his passion for literature grew early while he spent several weeks in the hospital as a child. He began his professional training in the Witsch & Co. bookstore in Cologne before even founding his own publishing house in the 1960s. His collection of poems by Rolf-Dieter Brinkmann could only be published in 500 copies due to printing errors. By founding his antiquarian bookshop in Cologne in 2001, he set an example for his love of literature. But the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of his store until Daria Razumovych helped him regain visibility through social media.
A new book: Simply literature
A highlight of Willbrand's legacy is the recently published book “Simply Literature – An Invitation”. It was compiled by Daria Razumovych and not only reflects his views and experiences, but also documents the development of his successful social media project. His autobiographical stories are about the authors who influenced him, including greats such as Franz Kafka, Robert Musil and Ingeborg Bachmann. The book also offers insights into the challenges faced by antiquarian bookstores and recounts the connection between Willbrand and the poet Rolf-Dieter Brinkmann.
The book conveys Willbrand's life story and lets us see how he lived literature as a mediator. In her contributions, Razumovych reflects on her friendship with Willbrand and the ups and downs of their journey together through the literary world.
The role of book marketing agencies
In a world where online visibility is becoming increasingly important for books, the booming book marketing agency industry represents an interesting connection to Willbrand's legacy. Agencies like Medialike primarily offer publishers and authors support in making readers aware of their works. Their services are aimed at online marketing, product optimization and the creation of target group-oriented texts. At a time when visual content is very popular, Klaus Willbrand's approach could be one of the keys to success in teaching literature in the digital age.
Klaus Willbrand may no longer be with us, but his legacy lives on. Through his book and numerous videos, he has left a trace of light in the literary world that will not go out anytime soon. The Cologne literary circle will miss him, and his influence on the next generation of literature enthusiasts will continue.