On the Road

Writings, reflections, and conversations: Two authors from Germany – Sonali Beher and Iven Yorick Fenker, both students at the Literature Institute Leipzig – travel along the East Coast of the USA, from New York through Florida to Texas.

The goal of this unique journey is to bring the transatlantic partnership to life for a new generation and to foster a vibrant literary exchange between Germany and the United States.

On the Road © Ricardo Roa

From September 7 to October 7, 2025, the authors met a diverse audience through readings, discussions, and conversations at a wide range of venues, including bookstores, schools, libraries, universities, and even a pizzeria. They share their impressions and experiences in a travel blog on Gegenüber, the online magazine of the Goethe-Institut in North America.

The route
New York (New York) - Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) - Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) - West Chester (Pennsylvania) - Washington (District of Columbia) - Front Royal (Virginia) - Charlotte (North Carolina) - Atlanta (Georgia) - Athens (Georgia) - Orlando (Florida) - Miami (Florida) - Houston (Texas)

Click on the arrow to see all dates and locations of public events.

On the Road - Route © Ricardo Roa © Ricardo Roa

Travel notes on Gegenüber

Explore the voices of a new generation. Follow their trip and read stories of On the Road on GEGENÜBER, the digital magazine of the Goethe-Institut in North America.

Two black-and-white polaroids on a light blue background featuring a road and a close-up of a hand holding a pen © Ricardo Roa © Ricardo Roa

About the authors

Sonali Beher, born in 1997 in Gießen, Germany, studied English and Political Science in Heidelberg before beginning her studies in Literary Writing at the German Institute for Literature Leipzig in 2023. Alongside her academic work, she supports NGOs dedicated to strengthening democracy. Beher writes across genres, including prose, essays, poetry, and dramatic texts, with a focus on how the personal and political intersect. Her writing often explores themes such as German identity, womanhood, and labor. In 2024, her short play Mensch mit Kopf was staged at the Kabinetttheater in Vienna, Austria.

Iven Yorick Fenker, born in 1994, grew up in the Harz region of Germany, an area once divided by the inner-German border and often the setting for his writing. His work explores themes of masculinity, fascism, football, and love. He is currently studying at the German Institute for Literature Leipzig and works as a writer, filmmaker, and journalist, contributing to outlets such as DIE ZEIT in Berlin. His text Dornen Donner Stoßgebet was nominated for the “Wortmeldungen Förderpreis” award. His film “die kastanie" was screened at several festivals and won the Youth Jury Prize at the Vienna Shorts in 2025.