Leipzig Book Fair 2016

The great spring reading festival in Leipzig. The events held by the Robert Bosch Stiftung included literary voyages of discovery with Border Crossers authors, a translators’ meeting, and readings from this year’s Chamisso prize winners. This year’s program focus "Europa21. Thinking tomorrow’s society" focused on immigration and integration.
Robert Bosch Stiftung | March 2016
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The great spring reading festival in Leipzig. The events held by the Robert Bosch Stiftung at the Leipzig Book Fair included literary voyages of discovery with Border Crossers authors, a translators’ meeting, and readings from this year’s Chamisso prize winners Esther Kinsky and Uljana Wolf.

This year’s program focus Europa21. Denk-Raum für die Gesellschaft von morgen (Europe21. Thinking tomorrow’s society) was a response to the current debates about fleeing, migration, and integration, which are often one-sided and shaped by national interests. These issues are splitting the continent and creating polarization within European politics and society. Europa21 set a counterpoint to this, offering a platform for a neutral examination of the subject.


Events

12:00 - 12:30 Uhr
Grenzgänger-Lesung
Moderator Frank Meyer ist unterwegs in Polen mit Peter Henning und seinem Buch "Die Chronik des verpassten Glücks"
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

12am - 1pm
Europa21 - Context: History, causes and significance of the refugee movements from the Middle East
The debates about asylum policy and European external borders, about integration offers and security policy is primarily determined by the civil war refugees from Syria and the threat by the so-called ISIS. But which contexts do we need to be familiar with to understand the events in the Middle East and the reactions of international politics in all their complexity. Above all: Which interests are at stake and how are other world powers involved in these conflicts? And how do they influence the refugee movements reaching Europe presently? What is left unsaid or has not been discussed sufficiently? Our guests on the panel:

Sadik al-Azm (Philosopher, Syria / Germany)


Michael Lüders (Author, political advisor, Germany)


Karim El-Gawhary (Journalist, Germany. Latest book: "Auf der Flucht. Reportagen", Kremayr und Scheriau)

Presentation: Lothar Müller (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

14:00 - 14:45 Uhr
Adelbert-von-Chamisso-Preis
Moderator Thomas Schindler im Gespräch mit der aktuellen Chamisso-Preisträgerin Esther Kinsky: "Am Fluss"
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

11am - 12pm
Literarische Brückenbauer - Internationales Übersetzertreffen auf der Leipziger Buchmesse
Jürgen Jakob Becker, Geschäftsführer des Deutschen Übersetzerfonds spricht mit Teilnehmern des Übersetzertreffens.
Location: Übersetzerzentrum im Forum International Halle 4, Stand C503

12pm - 12.30pm
Grenzgänger-Lesung
Übersetzerin Larissa Bender ist unterwegs in Ägypten und Tunesien mit Julia Gerlach und ihrem neuen Buch "Der verpasste Frühling. Woran die Arabellion gescheitert ist"
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

12am - 1am
Europa21 - Change: How Europe has changed and still must change
These last years will make history. In other words: From a historical point of view we are in a unique situation. The social and cultural changes can’t be stopped anymore. How has our society changed already and what will our future society be like?
Our guests on the panel:

Christian Jakob (Journalist, Germany. Latest book: „Die Bleibenden. Wie Flüchtlinge


Deutschland seit 20 Jahren verändern“


Christoph Links Verlag), Borka Pavic´evic´ (Director of the Centre for Cultural Decontamination, Serbia)


Ulrike Guérot (Director of the European Democracy Lab, Germany. Latest book: „Warum Europa eine Republik werden muss. Eine politische Utopie“, Dietz Verlag)

Presentation: Jörg Armbruster (Journalist and author)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

1 pm - 2 pm
Europa21 - Facts: Refugees in Europe – Europe and the refugees
We don’t know very much about the different admission procedures for refugees in European countries. We also know very little about the different methods of immigrant integration and which programs and opinions exist in European countries beyond the statements of their governments. Which experiences with immigrants have other countries gained in the second part of the twentieth century? We urgently need to exchange ideas! Our guests on the panel:


Basil Kerski (Director of the European Solidarity Centre, Poland)


Stefan Jonsson (Prof. of Ethnic Studies at the University of Linköping, Sweden)


Christine Langenfeld (Chair of the foundation board of the German Foundations for Migration and Integration, Germany)

Presentation: Jörg Armbruster (Journalist and author)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

2pm - 2:45 pm
Adelbert-von-Chamisso-Preis
Moderator Thomas Schindler im Gespräch mit der aktuellen Chamisso-Preisträgerin Uljana Wolf ("Meine schönste Lengevitch")
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

8.30pm - 10.30pm
Europa21 - How we lived, live and want to live together! A Round Table with Audience Participation
This soiree will focus on Germany and Leipzig and the current discussion about immigration and asylum policy. The participants of the round table will discuss the need of openness in our society together with the audience. We will draw balance of the present by looking back and evaluating past experiences from individual points of view. We want to get an overview, to clarify questions, to express wishes and visions. Let‘s picture the future together! Our guests on the panel:


Armin Nassehi (Professor of Sociology at the LMU Munich, Germany)


Ulrich Hörning (Mayor for General Administration of the City of Leipzig)


Michail Ryklin (Professor of Philosophy and author, Russia / Germany)


Georg Teichert (Equal Opportunities Representative of the University of Leipzig)

Presentation: Carsten Tesch (MDR)
Location: Neues Rathaus (new town hall), Martin-Luther-Ring 4–6, 04109 Leipzig

12:00 - 12:30 Uhr
Grenzgänger-Lesung
Autor und Literaturkritiker Tobias Lehmkuhl ist unterwegs im Kosovo mit Jan Böttcher und seinem neuen Buch: "Y"
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

12am– 1pm
Europa21 - The art of language and narrative: Who, about whom and how? – Literature and responsibility
This event focusses on flight and displacement, exile and foreignness, trying to capture the spirit of our present times. To find a precise, fair language is what Senthuran Varatharajah is aiming for, whereas Shida Bazyar is more the traditional storyteller. Which possibilities does the German language offer, which problems do we face, speaking about asylum and the space it requires? A highly concentrated exchange between two young authors, who directly or indirectly have had experiences precisely in this space, but have chosen different literary paths. Our guests on the panel:

Senthuran Varatharajah (Author and philosopher, Germany. Latest book "Vor der Zunahme der Zeichen", S. Fischer Verlag)


Shida Bazyar (Author, Germany. Latest book: "Nachts ist es leise in Teheran", Kiepenheuer & Witsch)

Presentation: Insa Wilke (Literary critic and presenter)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

1pm - 2pm
Europa21 - Rhetoric: The fourth power and its own asylum policy
Journalism claims to be objective. Doubts about this could arise following the coverage in tv-newsprograms like "Tagesschau", "heute"-Nachrichten, "heute spezial" and the usual talk-shows directly after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Also, print-media are increasingly influencing politics. However, it may be time to recall Henri Nannen’s concept of a journalism that eventually positions itself? What must editors take into consideration and which is the responsibility of the fourth power in a state today, speaking about the realityconstituting power of language? Our guests on the panel


Stefan Raue (MDR, Germany)


Bernd Ulrich (Die Zeit, Germany)


Michał Kokot (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)

Presentation: Insa Wilke (Literary critic and presenter)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

14:00 - 14:45 Uhr
Adelbert-von-Chamisso-Preis
Moderator Thomas Scihndler im Gespräch mit dem Chamisso-Preisträger 2011 Radek Knapp ("Der Gipfeldieb")
Ort: ARTE-Stand (Glashalle, Empore, Stand 11)

1 pm– 2 pm
Europa21 - Controversy: Return of religion?
In his thank-you speech for the Peace Prize of the German book Trade Navid Kermani invited all those present to pray. This provoked strong protest. When speaking about religion in Germany reactions are sometimes almost hysterical. The thesis of the end of religion could nevertheless be called premature. Can a religion really threaten our way of life? Could the „return of religion“ reopen a cultural diversity similar to the times before the Second World War? Our guests on the panel:

Reinhard Schulze (Prof. of Islamic Studies, Switzerland. Latest book: "Geschichte der islamischen Welt", C. H. Beck)


Martin Urban (Physicist, journalist and author, Germany. Latest book: "Ach Gott, die Kirche. Protestantischer Fundamentalismus und 500 Jahre Reformation", dtv Premium)


Halina Grzymała-Moszczynska (Prof. of Psychology of Culture and Religion, Poland)

Presentation: Sebastian Engelbrecht (Deutschlandradio)
Location: Café Europa, hall 4, stand 401

March 17th - 20th 2016
Listening stations in the entrance area: Asylum-seekers tell their stories
Thousands of new asylum-seekers of very different origins have been arriving in Leipzig since summer 2015. Which life stories are hidden behind these numbers? Where do these people come from and which expectations do they have here and now? Asylum-seekers will be given a chance to tell their stories in mini-portraits produced by Johanna Hemkentokrax in cooperation with the culture radio station MDR FIGARO. Their voices will be heard during the fair at the listening stations in the entrance hall.