Navid Kermani

Navid Kermani was born in Siegen, Germany, in 1967 into a family of Iranian migrants. He studied Drama, Philosophy, and Oriental Studies in Cologne, Cairo, and Bonn, and received the doctoral and post-doctoral degree. From 2000 to 2003 he was a Long Term Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin / Institute for Advanced Studies, before he decided to live as a writer and returned to Cologne. Kermani’s works distinctly reflect his critical examination of both European and Islamic culture, an authorial mission he candidly describes as »criticism, more precisely self-criticism.«His writing, a riveting amalgamation of narrative and critical introspection, encapsulates his perspective on socio-cultural paradigms, well manifested in works like »Dynamit des Geistes. Märtyrertum, Islam und Nihilismus« (2002; tr: Dynamite of the Spirit: Martyrdom, Islam, and Nihilism) and »Kurzmitteilung« (2007; tr: Short Message). The comprehensive novel »Dein Name« (2011; tr: Your Name) offers a unique glimpse into his writing process; an intimate depiction of his life through the lens of a troubled writer, persisting through a crisis.Kermani’s unique position as an intercultural mediator resonates through his diverse oeuvre. His acclaimed work, »Between the Koran and Kafka« (2016), beautifully explores the cultural nexus between Oriental and Occidental literature. His profound speech on the 65th anniversary of Germany’s constitutional Grundgesetz was hailed as the »speech of the year«. Meanwhile, his novel »Große Liebe« (2014; tr: Great Love) thematically ventures into the uncharted territory of first love, utilizing verses from Islamic mystics. In 2022 he published »Jeder soll von da, wo er ist, einen Schritt näher kommen. Fragen nach Gott« (tr: Everyone, Wherever You Are, Come One Step Closer: Questions about God).The author’s literary prowess has earned him several accolades, including the Kleist Prize (2012), and the Joseph Breitbach Prize (2014) for »Dein Name« (2011). In 2015 he received the Peace Price of the German Book Trade, the most prestigious Cultural Award in Germany. Among his many other prizes are the Hölderlin-Prize (2019) and the Honorary Award of the Austrian Book Trade (2020). Navid Kermani is also acclaimed as a reporter and has written about many wars and crises around the world. He co-hosts a literary salon in Cologne’s Stadtgarten, and co-leads the »Herzzentrum« at the Thalia-Theater in Hamburg. The author lives in Cologne.