Frank Witzel: My literary history of the 20th century
Book Fair
begin 23.03.2024, 19:00
end 23.03.2024, 20:30
location Leipzig
Reading and discussion
Frank Witzel: My literary history of the 20th century. Moderation: Hanna Engelmeier
One of the greatest experiences in the world of literature is the electrifying rediscovery of an overlooked genius, an unjustly forgotten, ostracised or suppressed artist whose work now appears in a whole new light. Frank Witzel went in search of writers like these who fell into historical oblivion, and some of the discoveries he made are quite astonishing. However, he is interested in more than just restitution: the more than one hundred discoveries he writes about in his essay, which was first published in the journal "Schreibheft" and has now been updated and expanded for this edition, also encompasses works by authors who were unsuccessful, obsessed, failures and completely unknown.
In this very personal canon, a poesy of the literary world and its ironies, absurdities, disappointed hopes and great expectations emerges as if by chance and also allows the reader to gaze into the chasm encountered in the writer's study. This is where the yearning for the perfect text dwells in companionship with the threat of failure, a threat which never seems to end – since posthumous discovery and resounding success in the form of posthumous fame always seem to lie within the bounds of possibility.
Photo: © Maja Bechert
Since his first volume of poetry was issued in 1978, Frank Witzel has published more than a dozen books, including the novels "Bluemoon Baby" (2001/2017), "Vondenloh" (2008/2018) and "Die Erfindung der Roten Armee Fraktion durch einen manisch-depressiven Teenager im Sommer 1969" (The Invention of the Red Army Faction by a Manic-Depressive Teenager in the Summer of 1969), for which he won the German Book Prize of 2015. Together with director Leonhard Koppelmann, he was awarded the 2017 German Audiobook Prize for some of his audio works. That same year, he was appointed to a lectureship in poetry at the University of Heidelberg, followed in 2018 by another lectureship in poetry at the University of Tübingen. In 2017/2018, he held the Friederichs Foundation professorship at the Offenbach University of Art and Design. His novel "Inniger Schiffbruch" (Sweet Shipwreck), published in 2020, was longlisted for the German Book Prize.
Hanna Engelmeier, born in Münster in 1983, is a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in Essen. She was awarded a doctorate for her thesis on the evolution of German anthropology during the first wave of Darwinism. She began writing for the magazine "Merkur" in 2014. Her volume of essays "Trost. Vier Übungen" (Solace. Four Exercises) was published by Matthes & Seitz in 2021.
Event organised by the Verlag Matthes & Seitz Berlin and the German National Library as part of "Leipzig Reads".
Information und Kontakt
The event will be held in German.
Venue: Lecture Hall, German National Library in Leipzig.
Costs: Free admission
Duration: 90 minutes
Booking: Online via the button above or by phone +49 341 2271-286
Cloakroom info: You will need one- or two-Euro coins to store your bags and backpacks in the lockers.
Accessibility: The area in which the event will be taking place is barrier-free accessible.
Contact: veranstaltungen@dnb.de or by phone +49 341 2271-286
Address and getting here
German National Library
Deutscher Platz 1
04103 Leipzig
Getting here
We advise you to use public transport.
1 / By public transport
By rail
From the main railway station, take S-Bahn S1 in the direction of Riesa, S2 in the direction of Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz, S3 in the direction of Stötteritz or S5/S5X in the direction of Zwickau. Journey time approx. 7 minutes, get off at “Leipzig MDR”. Exit onto Semmelweisstraße, then turn right and continue for 400 m to the intersection at Straße des 18. Oktober.
Alternatively, take tram line 16 from platform 2 in front of the main railway station (in the direction of Lößnig) and get off at “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”. Journey time approx. 11 minutes.
By air
From Leipzig/Halle airport, take S-Bahn S5/S5X in the direction of Zwickau. Journey time approx. 30 minutes, get off at “Leipzig MDR”. Exit onto Semmelweisstraße, then turn right and continue for 400 m to the intersection at Straße des 18. Oktober.
2 / By car
Approaching from the north
Take the A9 to the Schkeuditzer Kreuz intersection, continue on the A14 towards Dresden and take the Leipzig-Mitte (city centre) exit; continue on the B2 towards Leipzig city centre as far as the intersection at Prager Straße/Semmelweisstraße (follow the signs for “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”).
Approaching from the south and east
Take the A9 or A14, change to the A38 and continue to the Leipzig-Süd exit; change to the B2 and continue to the Südvorstadt exit; turn right into Kurt-Eisner-Straße and continue to the German National Library.
3 / Accessibility
The German National Library in Leipzig has disabled parking spaces right in front of the building. The entrance for disabled visitors is signposted. The reading rooms and cafeteria are accessible by lift.
Last changes:
22.02.2024
