Barthold Fles facts for kids

Barthold Fles (born February 7, 1902 – died December 19, 1989) was a Dutch-American who helped writers get their books published. He was known as a literary agent. He also wrote his own books and articles, edited other people's writings, and translated books from German to English. He even published poetry books.

The Life of Barthold Fles

Barthold Fles was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on February 7, 1902. His family was Jewish, but they didn't strictly follow religious rules. His father, Louis Fles, sold typewriters and office supplies. He wanted Barthold, his oldest son, to join the family business. However, Barthold loved to read more than anything. He could read very fast in Dutch, German, English, and French.

Barthold found a job at a publishing company called De Lange. In 1923, he decided to move to the United States.

Starting a New Life in America

In New York, Barthold first worked many different jobs. He was a violinist, painted apartments, and sold vacuum cleaners. He also worked for other publishers. In 1933, he started his own business in Manhattan, New York. This business was a literary agency.

As a literary agent, Barthold's main job was to help writers find publishers who would print their books. He also helped sell stories to film companies or magazines. Sometimes, a publisher would want a specific type of book, and Barthold would find a writer to create it.

When Barthold started his agency, many of his clients were writers who had left Germany. They had moved to the United States because of the Nazis in Germany. Barthold held meetings in New York to help these writers learn how to publish their work in the United States. Later, most of the writers he worked with were born in America.

Family and Writing

In 1936, Barthold married Ruth Grünwald. She was a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera and had only been in the United States for a year. Ruth helped Barthold with his work, but later they separated.

Even though Barthold Fles didn't have his own children, he wrote two books for kids. One was called Slavonic rhapsody: the life of Antonín Dvořák (published in 1948). The other was East Germany (published in 1973). He also wrote many articles and introductions for collections of stories.

Barthold translated three books from German into English. One of these was Bambi's Children by Felix Salten, which was also a book for children.

Later Years

In 1986, when Barthold Fles was 84 years old, he decided to stop working. He moved back to the Netherlands and lived for three years in a home for retired artists. He passed away on December 19, 1989, at the age of 87.

Books Written by Barthold Fles

Barthold Fles wrote several books, including:

• 1948 - Slavonic rhapsody: The life of Antonín Dvořák
• 1973 - East Germany
• 1993 - Briefwechsel mit Barthold Fles, 1942-1949 (This book was written with Heinrich Mann; it was edited by Madeleine Rietra)

Books Translated by Barthold Fles

Barthold Fles translated these books from German into English:

• 1939 - Ernst Krenek: Music here and now
• 1939 - Felix Salten: Bambi’s children
• 1943 - Hans Natonek: In search of myself