We conclude our anniversary program as we began: with a look into the future. This time with four authors who have already proven themselves in the book market: Ulrike Almut Sandig has been known to us for many years as a poet as well as the author of short stories and the novel "Monsters Like Us." Martin Piekar is also a poet, who made a splash at the Days of German-Language Literature in Klagenfurt in 2023 and is now on the verge of publishing his first novel. Kathrin Bach has written the novel "Life Insurance" in addition to two poetry volumes, which was nominated for the German Book Prize. Lina Thiede has prominently emerged as an author of dystopian future visions, most recently with the novel "Sometimes You Know What Will Happen."
They are all united not only by their friendly connection to the literature forum but also by the fact that they have been awarded the Robert Gernhardt Prize in recent years, which is given for a project that is still in the making. From these projects, the four will grant us an exclusive insight by reading from the manuscripts of their soon-to-be-published novels. Afterwards, there will be a celebration!
Moderation: Björn Jager & Christian Dinger
Kathrin Bach, born in Wiesbaden in 1988, studied Creative Writing in Hildesheim and is a trained bookseller. Her poetry debut "Sponges" was published in 2017, followed by her second poetry volume "Plaster" in 2024 (both published by parasitenpresse). For her work on the novel project "Life Insurance," she received the residency scholarship for literature at the Künstlerhaus Lauenburg in 2022. She lives as a freelance author and editor in Berlin. Life Insurance is her debut novel.
Martin Piekar, born in 1990 in Bad Soden, studied philosophy and history in Frankfurt am Main, where he still lives and works as a teacher. He won the open mike in 2012, and his poetry debut "Bastard Echo" was published in 2014. Most recently, the collection "Livestream & Corpses" was published in 2023.
Ulrike Almut Sandig, born in 1979 in Großenhain, completed studies in religious studies and Indology and began studying at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig in 2004. She made her debut in 2005 with the poetry volume "Kindling," followed by further volumes of poems, stories, and the novel "Monsters Like Us." Most recently, the collection "Glowing Sheep" was published in 2022. She has received numerous awards and scholarships.
Lina Thiede was born in 1996 in Gießen and studied comparative literature, musicology, and the theories and practices of professional writing in Saarbrücken, Bonn, and Cologne. She is a multiple winner of the OVAG Youth Literature Prize as well as the Young Literature Forum Hessen-Thüringen. She has published several novels, most recently "Sometimes You Know What Will Happen" in 2025.
Photos (c) Julia Vogel, Charlotte Werndt, Sascha Conrad & Kayla Meyer
With kind support from the Economic and Infrastructure Bank Hesse, the founder of the Robert Gernhardt Prize since 2009.
Late entry only until 8 PM.
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
