Navid Kermani

Rifts are suddenly opening up in politics and in our immediate living environment. The unity of the West, which has given us security for so long, is breaking down. Wars and genocides are forcing us to take positions that lead to new conflicts. Democracy, with its compromises and balances of power, is becoming too complicated for many. Navid Kermani combines his own experiences with historical events and global upheaval. He shows the effects of social upheaval, where enmity arises and why we can still open our hearts to others without losing ourselves in the process.

Navid Kermani is a habilitated Orientalist and lives as a freelance writer in Cologne. He has been awarded the Kleist Prize, the Joseph Breitbach Prize, the Friedrich Hölderlin Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and, most recently, the Thomas Mann Prize for his work. His non-fiction books and reportages are highly acclaimed; most recently In die andere Richtung jetzt. A journey through East Africa (2024).

A cooperation between Literaturherbst Heidelberg and DAI Heidelberg