Motherhood is the central motif in the novel »Abyss«, which tells of growing up from the perspective of a daughter, as well as in Quintana’s debut »The Bitch«. This is about a woman with an unfulfilled desire to have children who, in her desperation, develops a maternal relationship with a
In his poetic texts, Ilya Kaminsky makes references to archetypes, myths, and Russian literature, bringing them to life with his keen sense of rhythm and melody of the English language. »Kaminsky’s verse spans continents and centuries, and feels like it belongs to Russian immigrant dreamers, American tourists and the millions
This coming-of-age novel, which won the Jhalak Prize, is a feminist interpretation of Ugandan fairy tales. It tells of a girl growing up with her grandparents, whose painful search for her mother is linked to the process of growing up and discovering her own femininity. »It is a novel that
»To mother is to murder, or close enough«, thinks recently widowed Johanna as she looks at the spelling of the two words in Norwegian. She is back in Oslo after a long absence, preparing for a retrospective of her art. Motherhood is thematically central, not necessarily to the delight of
Zum Auftakt der Reihe »Not Dead But Dreaming: Fokus Arabische Gegenwartsliteratur« stellt der mehrfach für den International Prize for Arabic Fiction nominierte Roman- und Drehbuchautor seinen jüngsten Roman erstmals in Berlin vor. Khalifa verwebt darin hundert Jahre syrischer Geschichte und Kultur in einen Text über das Schicksal mehrerer Familien. Es
The so-called Grand Tour was once undertaken by young aristocrats in order to expand their knowledge through travels. Today, those who want to travel through Europe can also do so by reading: The anthology »Grand Tour« contains stories and short stories by 27 writers – one from each EU member
In a world where trees can walk, deer turn into goats, and a giant garbage whirlpool drifts through the sea off Taiwan’s coast, an indigenous youth meets a jaded academic. The writer and environmental activist Wu Ming-Yi is considered one of Taiwan’s most important voices. Now, for the first time,
Zadie Smith, »eine der wichtigsten literarischen Stimmen unserer Zeit« [WELT], hat mit »Intimations« [dt. »Betrachtungen«] zuletzt einen Essayband aus den ersten Monaten des Corona-Lockdowns vorgelegt. Im Gespräch mit Daniel Kehlmann erörtert sie die Kraft der literarischen Essayistik und das Spannungsfeld zwischen privatem und öffentlichem Raum. Welche Erzählungen brauchen wir in
Georgi, a truck driver, makes a wrong turn with his cargo of goods and suddenly finds himself in the middle of nowhere. He searches for the way back but sinks more and more into the everyday life of a Russian village, where he witnesses a struggle for survival waged with
Part I. Kathrin Röggla: »The Water« What does climate change mean for water, the substance on which we depend even more than on gas and oil? In the play of the same name, Kathrin Röggla paints a picture of a society oscillating between heavy rainfall and intense heat, a society
Migrants, refugees, and displaced persons are the focus of Meron Hadero’s debut, who in 2021 became the first Ethiopian writer to receive the Caine Prize for African Writing. The short story collection won the Restless Book Prize for New Immigrant Fiction before it was even published. The jury stated, »With
Bernardine Evaristo, 2019 als erste Schwarze Schriftstellerin mit dem Booker Prize ausgezeichnet, erzählt in ihrem Memoir »rasant und komisch, brachial und anrührend, meistens selbstironisch und vor allem: hemmungslos ehrlich« [DIE ZEIT] von ihrem Leben. Der prägende Einfluss des Theaters bereits für sie als Jugendliche und ihr Weg zum Schreiben sind
