Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Enzensberger worked as an assistant radio editor to Andersch, and was invited to join Andersch’s legendary and influential Gruppe 47 (which Enzensberger later memorably described as “the Café Central of a literature without a capital”). Among fellow-members, Bachmann was a friend, Walser became a continuing colleague, Grass was a neighbour — they saw each other all the time — while Weiss had a famous spat with him. Enzensberger helped put out Sebald’s first three prose books, and wrote a farewell poem to him on his death. Sachs was a correspondent, forgiving to post-war writers like him. He met Barnet in Cuba.