Terézia Mora und Lukas Bärfuss

Two of the most distinguished German-language authors in conversation about the question of what can still be expected of literature in the 21st century.

Where do literary forms of expression stand today, in the 21st century? What means can be used to counter a reality in which disinformation, propaganda, lies predominate? Is the search and the demand for truthfulness still a demand of literature at all? Are the classical forms - the short story, the novel, the play and the essay - still suitable? Can they still be developed further - and if so, in what direction? And what do writers actually do with the widespread longing for a new narrative? Are they ready to give society a new grand narrative and with it a new cohesion? Or have they limited themselves to giving a few incorrigible readers a few hours of escape and entertainment?

The German-speaking Hungarian author and translator Terézia Mora has already been awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for her literary debut, and later received, among others, the German Book Prize (2013) and the Georg Büchner Prize for her complete works (2018).

The Swiss playwright and author Lukas Bärfuss regularly expresses trenchant views on political and social issues. His plays are performed worldwide. In 2014, he received the Swiss Book Prize for his novel Koala. In 2019, he also received the Georg Büchner Prize.