"Reading against violence" project at Chemnitz City Library from 13 to 15 November
Johannes Herwig reads from his novel "Until the stars tremble"
Whether verbal or non-verbal violence, online or in real life - violence among children and young people is omnipresent. The "Reading against violence" project is taking place for the 17th time at Chemnitz City Library from today until 15 November. The aim of the project is to talk to children and young people about a story and to scrutinise various phenomena of violence. Renowned authors are on hand to present their works and discuss them with the young listeners.
This year, the Leipzig-based author Johannes Herwig was recruited for the project. He will read from his debut novel "Bis die Sterne zittern" (Until the Stars Tremble) at a total of five events for eleven school classes and will then be available for a discussion with the young people.
The story takes place in Leipzig during the Nazi era. Sixteen-year-old Harro joins a group of young people during the summer holidays in 1936. Like him, they want nothing to do with the ideology of the National Socialists and do not want to be told how to live their lives. Oppositional youth cliques, the Leipzig Meuten, formed a real-life basis for the novel.
Johannes Herwig's work was nominated for the Youth Jury Prize of the German Youth Literature Award 2018. The youth jury emphasised: "'Bis die Sterne zittern' makes you think: What am I prepared to do for a free, open society? Would I resist if it were threatened?"
In this respect, the story of Harro and his friends raises questions that, although they lie far in the past, have lost none of their topicality.
Johannes Herwig was born in Leipzig in 1979. Before starting work on his literary debut in 2013, he studied sociology and psychology. He was also involved in film art - he founded the Phase IV film gallery in Dresden.
Since 2002, he has regularly organised readings by children's and young adult authors as part of the "Reading against violence" project. The topics are varied, but always focus on violence between children and young people. The project is organised by the association Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Chemnitz, which is funded by the Local Action Plan for Democracy, Tolerance and a Cosmopolitan Chemnitz (LAP).
Dates:
13.11.2018 9 and 11 am Central Library in TIET
14.11.2018 9 a.m. District library in the Yorck area
14/11/2018 11.40 a.m. Einsiedel grammar school
15.11.2018 9 a.m. District library in the Vita Centre