Hallo, Grüezi, Servus! Literature from the three German-speaking countries.

Each year Literaturlenz brings together the Goethe-Institut Chicago, the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago and the Consulate General of Austria in Chicago for an evening of readings in German. Each author represents a unique voice in contemporary German-language literature. In 2013 we welcome Silke Scheuermann from Germany, Ulrike Ulrich from Switzerland, and Cornelia Travnicek of Austria. The readings will be followed by a discussion in English moderated by Susan Harris, Editorial Director of Words Without Borders.

Our Literaturlenz writers will also visit the University of Illinois at Chicago (February 27), the University of Wisconsin-Madison (February 28), and DePaul University (March 1) for readings with German students and faculty

Silke Scheuermann, born in 1973, lives in Offenbach. She studied Drama and Literature in Frankfurt, Leipzig and Paris. Her poems, short stories and novels have been translated into various languages. She was member of the Jury of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. For 2012/2013 Silke Scheuermann will be holding a Poetics lecturing post in Wiesbaden.

Ulrike Ulrich, born 1968 in Düsseldorf, lives in Zurich. She studied German Literature and Language and afterwards worked in Computational Linguistics. In 2010 Luftschacht Verlag published her first novel fern bleiben, which will be followed in february of 2013 by her second novel Hinter den Augen. She is the editor of a literary Anthology on Human Rights and a member of the Zurich-based group of authors “index” (www.wortundwirkung.ch). Ulrich has received numerous awards and stipends, including the Walter Serner-Prize 2010, a Zurich Literature Prize 2010, and the Lilly-Ronchetti-Prize 2011 for Hinter den Augen. In 2012 she received grants from both Pro Helvetia and the canton of Zurich. 

Cornelia Travnicek was born in 1987 in St. Pölten, Lower Austria, and lives in Traismauer and Vienna. She studied Sinology and Informatics at the University of Vienna and now works as a researcher at the Center for Visual Reality and Visualization. She has received several prizes and awards for her publications, including third place in FM4 radio station’s 2009 Wortlaut Wettbewerb - the most important prize for young talent in Austria - for an excerpt from her novel ‘Chucks’. She also won the audience award in the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize competition 2012 for her text ‘Junge Hunde’.

Susan Harris is the editorial director of Words Without Borders. With Ilya Kaminsky, she coedited The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry.

Please RSVP with Denise Eiserman:

1-312-263-0472

Mail Symbolinfo@chicago.goethe.org