Miss Marple murders…
Katrin Schielke
Translation (of French version
by Céline
Chanclud): Camille Rosier
December 2006
No,
Miss Marple is neither a criminal nor does she solve mysteries:
she sells books. She has been doing so since 2002. Her real name
is Cornelia Hüppe-Binder. To me, both the bookseller and the
amateur detective have in common their ability to get out of any
situation thanks to their unique razor-sharp sense of humour. On
a bad day, Mrs Hüppe-Binder can be in a mood for murder, but
the rest of the time, she's the nicest bookseller I'm acquainted
with. Her catching laughter is one of a kind. If you want to hear
it, you need only buy a book or go to a reading. These exciting events,
which happen on a regular basis, bring into play authors in person
as well as actors, who read Izzo, Kästner (Emil and
the detectives) or Japrisot. The bookshop specialising
in detective fiction is located in a street parallel to Wilmersdorfer
Straße—a very lively street in Charlottenburg. The cosy little
place contains more than 5,000 references, including books in German,
English, French and Spanish as well as CDs for adults and children
alike. Here's a lady who's conversant with what she's doing. The
following interview is filled with amazing information on how she
advises customers, the story behind her success, the part played
by a certain Bernd Binder, etc...
Katrin Schielke: How did you come up with the idea of opening
a bookshop specialising in detective fiction?
Cornelia Hüppe-Binder: I
had a frustrating job and, at the same time, I wanted to fulfil
a great dream. I had previously been training to become a bookseller.
After I graduated, I worked as an expert in education management.
Although I had a job, I felt the need to do something different
from what I had been doing for the past 8 years... I then made
decision in February 2002 while drinking a beer at a fish stall
in Sylt. At the time, my husband (Bernd Binder) was thinking about
divorcing me if I didn't find another job that would make me happy...
I then thought, why not detective fiction? I had to find a niche.
My husband has always backed me and spent most of his free time
in the bookshop; he hosts the readings and translates from French
to German.
KS: Why detective fiction?
And what are you favourite stories?
C H-B: My first detective story was The Three Investigators .
Then, after a long absence, I read A Great Deliverance by
Elizabeth George in 1987, which started everything. I'm very fond
of detective fiction because it makes me feel like I read actively.
It has helped me learn a lot about politics and other countries.
I especially like politically-oriented detective novels as written
by Birkefekd, Hachmeister or Wolfgang Schorlau; classic British whodunits,
French novelist Izzo as well as many other Scandinavian authors.
However, I don't like psycho-thrillers and 'icky' stories.
KS: What part does the bookshop
play in the local community?
C H-B: I'm like the village grocer, so to speak; people leave me
their keys, their kids, and even their grandpas sometimes... I enjoy
contact with customers. I haven't read all the detective stories
available at my bookshop, although I have read many of them, that
is why I am able to give individual advice, 'on the quiet', to my
customers... I ask them what they like to read, be it them or the
person they're buying a present for, but also what they like to eat,
where they prefer to spend their holiday.
KS: Like a kind of anamnesis?
C H-B: Yes, I suppose so. And I gladly do it. As far as customers
are concerned, very few of them are annoying. Only arrogant and pretentious
people grate on me; those who will spend hours telling me detective
stories are nothing more than airport novels, that they have never
read a good detective novel...
KS: Anyway, here, you certainly
give more personal advice than they do at Hugendubel, the bookshop
located five minutes away on the commercial street.
C H-B: Of course. When Hugendubel opened, three and a half years
ago, I lost a few customers for about three months. But they ended
up coming back to the shop... In addition, many people thought they
couldn't order books other than detective fiction. But this has changed
with time. In Berlin , there are now 3 bookshops specialising in
detective fiction, which is unique in Germany . There is, however,
no real competition, for each and every one is established in a different
area with a different clientele.
KS: What about women, in
the bookshop as well as in detective fiction?
C H-B: Women constitute 70% of my clientele. I also find that women
write and read very violent detective novels.
KS: What has been your saddest
experience since creating the bookshop?
C H-B: My
saddest experience was shortly after the opening, on the first
Saturday of Advent. The shop had been empty all day. At the end
of the day, I had only cashed up €8.50 (about £5.80).
But the novel I had sold was Miss Marple: 4:50 from Paddington,
which I thought was a good sign. In such situations, you tend to
hang on to any glimmer of hope.
KS: And your best experience?
C H-B: Well, the last reading with Birkefeld and Hachmeister for
instance. The authors and the audience were happy because the atmosphere,
the texts and the discussion were positive. The readings are important
because they lead to discussion in which customers can participate.
There is a cluster of people who always come and have learnt to know
each other.
KS: Thank you, Miss Marple...
