Europa erlesen: Édouard Louis liest aus „Der Absturz“

In the organizer's words:

Édouard Louis has long been one of the most important voices in contemporary international literature. Born in 1992 in a village in the north of France, Louis was already in his mid-twenties when he succeeded in transferring the reality of life in a precarious working-class environment into autofiction in an incomparable way. Having dealt with the biographies of his parents in his last novels, in The Crash he devotes himself to the short life of his older brother, a constantly failing dreamer: in the working world with no prospects, he wishes for a bigger life. One in which he restores cathedrals, travels the world and earns his father's love. But none of this is possible in his reality, he sinks into alcohol and gambling addiction and remains a tragic fantasist. This book is an unsparing yet tender portrait of the brother who, in touching scenes, repeatedly tries to show the younger Édouard a different path in life than his own.

"This book is the conclusion of a family fresco that began ten years ago with 'The End of Eddy'." ÉDOUARD LOUIS

Édouard Louis, born in 1992, is considered one of the most important authors of the younger generation. His novel The End of Eddy made him internationally famous in 2015. In it, he tells of his childhood in a village in northern France in the most precarious of circumstances. In How to Become Someone Else, he tells the story of how he left the boundaries of his origins behind him. His books are published in 35 languages and are adapted for the theater on stages all over the world. His most recent books are In the Heart of Violence, Who Killed My Father and A Woman's Freedom. Édouard Louis lives in Paris.

The event is part of the literature series Europa Erlesen, which has been taking place since 2007 as a collaboration between the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Literaturbüro NRW. Supported by the Institut français Düsseldorf. Special thanks to Aufbau Verlag.

The event will be moderated by Emily Grunert (Director, Literaturbüro NRW), with Claudius Steffens providing the German voice.

The event will be held in English, with readings in German. Simultaneous interpretation into German will be provided.

Places are limited. Registration for the event is possible via this link.

Der Absturz (French original title L'Effondrement) was translated from French into German by Sonja Finck.

Price information:

Registration for the event is required.