Reading List #121
An entirely subjective list of things happening in Berlin
April 14
A. L. Kennedy: Alle freuen sich
“Everyone Is Happy” is the title of A. L. Kennedy’s new book, published by Geparden Verlag, and so are we, because the Scottish author will be joining us this evening. In thirteen stories, we encounter characters from A. L. Kennedy’s narrative universe: a newlywed who is unsure whether she has made a mistake after all; a protagonist who must settle into a new life after losing her husband, daughter, and mother; a panic attack in the middle of a London train station.
A. L. Kennedy puts her characters through a lot, approaching her work with empathy and humor, blending comedy and sarcasm in her own unique way.
Readings by Elna Lindgens will be from both the original and the translation; the discussion with translator Ingo Herzke will be conducted in English.
(EN/DE)
7.30 pm | Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, Am Sandwerder 5
April 15
On Becoming a Writer: An Evening with Colson Whitehead
From the zombie apocalypse to the Harlem underworld, Colson Whitehead doesn’t just write stories—he builds entire worlds. This evening offers a rare, wide-ranging conversation with the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. The event is diving into the mechanics of his genius, the grit of his creative process, and a first look at his highly anticipated 2026 release, Cool Machine. How does a writer reinvent American literature every few years? And where exactly does the line between history and imagination begin to blur? Don’t miss this chance to step inside the mind of a modern master.
Moderated by Wieland Freund, author, translator, literary critic and editor at Die Welt.
(EN)
7 pm | Villa Elisabeth, Invalidenstr. 3
April 15
Book launch: Helene Bukowski - “Wer möchte nicht im Leben bleiben”
In 1985, a young pianist in Neubrandenburg takes her own life. Decades later, the writer Helene Bukowski stumbles upon her story. She approaches Christina gently, searching her biography for cracks and upheavals, but also for moments of great happiness. She meets a father who wants to realize his own dreams through his daughter, a mother who loves to take photographs, and a piano that stands immovably in the apartment. Bukowski follows Christina to Berlin, to the special music school, with its cold practice rooms and daily drills. Later to Moscow, to study at the conservatory, through torrential rain and nights full of snow. And she discovers an illness for which a diagnosis has only recently been established.
For anyone interested, a free guided tour of the Stasi Records Archive begins at 5 p.m.; to register, please email einblick-ins-geheime@bundesarchiv.de or call 030 18 665-6699
(DE)
6.30 pm | Stasi-Zentrale, Ruschestraße 103
April 16
Literarisch Solidarisch: Perspektiven auf einen neuen Literaturbetrieb
“It’s really always the same sense of despair,” writes Hatice Açıkgöz in the foreword to the anthology Literarisch Solidarisch – Perspectives on a New Literary Scene (Verbrecher Verlag 2026): “It always comes down to whether the project is mainstream enough to be published by a major commercial publisher. Almost always, the answer is no.”
Driven by this sense of desperation, Hatice Açıkgöz launched the podcast Literarisch Solidarisch in 2023 together with Dara Brexendorf and Zara Zerbe. The anthology she edited under the same title now brings together seventeen authors who examine the literary world from various marginalized perspectives. Three of them will be guests at the Haus für Poesie this evening: Dara Brexendorf, Özlem Özgül Dündar, Heike Geißler will read from the anthology and discuss with Hatice Açıkgöz.
(DE)
7.30 pm | Haus für Poesie, Knaackstr. 97