In the Light of the New Day

  • On a journey into the heart of this forgotten story, we discover the fierce fight for women’s freedom.
  • A writer in search of herself. Deep in the Bohemian forest, the fates of two courageous women intertwine.
  • The new novel by the SPIEGEL bestselling author of Marshlands - over 150,000 copies sold.


English sample translation available

▶️ PODCAST: Listen to Alexandra Roesch reading an English audio sample on an upcoming episode of our Foreign Rights Podcast Catch of the Day here! 

‘Perhaps the forest wasn't just a refuge. Perhaps it was a place where she could finally be free.’

In order to write her new book in peace, author Elli Hajek retreats to a remote house in the woods. Here she is reminded of a character her Czech grandmother once told her
about: Viktorka, the young woman who was declared insane after a serious incident and from then on lived alone in the Bohemian forest. When Elli learns that Viktorka really existed, she travels to the country she herself fled as a child. Elli wants to find out more – but deep in the forest, between glowing ferns and a rushing river, another task awaits her: before she learns the truth about Viktorka, Elli must face her own repressed history.


A touching tribute to the grandmothers who shape our lives and give us so much. A story about the power of fairy tales and the art of storytelling.


"A gripping read" - Hamburger Abendblatt, Thomas Andre

"A compelling novel about women, memory and self-discovery" - Laura

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Sample Translations
Rights sold to

Czech (Albatros Media/ Kniha Zlin)

Rights of Marshlands sold to: Czech (Albatros Media/ Kniha Zlin), Danish (Turbine), Dutch (Atlas Contact), Italian (Neri Pozza)

  • Publisher: S. FISCHER
  • Release: 26.08.2026
  • ISBN: 978-3-10-397497-3
  • 304 Pages
  • Author: Jarka Kubsova
Buchcover von In the Light of the New Day: Roman
Jarka KubsovaIn the Light of the New Day
Portrait von Jarka Kubsova
© Gaby Gerster 2026
Jarka Kubsova

Jarka Kubsova was born in 1977 in the former Czechoslovakia and has lived in Germany since 1987. She has worked as a journalist, ghostwriter and co-author of several successful non-fiction books. Her debut novel, Bergland , was published in 2021, followed in 2023 by the novel Marshlands , which was nominated for the Independent Bookshops’ Favourite Book award and adapted for the stage. Jarka Kubsova lives in Hamburg.