Read and discuss works by contemporary German authors in this series hosted by the Goethe-Institut. All books can be read in recent English translation or in the German original; discussion will be in English. Led by local German professor
Amanda Sheffer (The Catholic University of America), this book club focuses on contemporary fiction and will explore experiences and thoughts about the text.
Go, Went, Gone focuses on the daily life of refugees living in Berlin. Centered around a retiring professor, Erpenbeck’s characters narrate their own stories to open up a humanistic discussion about their residence in Germany. In learning more about each character, where they come from, and their personal stories, the novel invites its audience into their lives to foster understanding and bridge cultures. A
Spiegel magazine bestseller in Germany, the stories focus on moments of transition – as the title suggests – even in learning the German language itself.
Jenny Erpenbeck (b. 1967, East Berlin) is a German author of books such as
The Book of Words, Things That Disappear, and
The End of Days. Erpenbeck learned the trade of bookbinding before working in the theater on both wardrobe and props. She went on to study theater at Humboldt University in Berlin and changed her area to music theater directing. She works both as a freelance writer and as an opera director in both Germany and Austria. Noted by
The New York Times as an important author in contemporary German literature, Erpenbeck currently resides in Berlin.
In cooperation with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at The Catholic University of America.
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