Workshop: Somatisches Schreiben mit Saskia Nitsche

"We all have at least one book hiding in the body."
- John Lee, in: Writing from the Body

In this workshop we want to try out approaches together to uncover the text that is already in our bodies.

The workshop is suitable for anyone who wants to find a more authentic voice in their literary writing, overcome writer's block or explore writing as a tool for self-awareness.

We understand somatic writing as writing with an open body and a quiet mind.

The aim of the practice is to uncover what is inside us and wants to find expression. When we release tension from the body, the body can experience a state of permeability. This also helps us to achieve a quieter mind and greater clarity. We find a way of expression that comes from our body knowledge rather than from our mind, which has already filtered our lived experience.

The raw material we uncover from our bodies often has a universal character that others can easily relate to. In the workshop, we will walk together on the path from the raw material we have physically uncovered to a first literary text.

Part of the workshop is a yin yoga sequence. So please bring the following with you:

• A gymnastics or yoga mat
• Leggings or comfortable street clothes (but no tight pants, please!)
• A warm sweater and warm socks, as it can get cold in the nave.

You will also need

• Paper/notebook
• pens

No previous writing or yoga experience is necessary.

Saskia Nitsche, born 1986 in Bamberg, lives as an author in Berlin. She studied Scenic Writing at the Berlin University of the Arts and Literary Writing at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. In addition to her own literary work, she has been teaching literary writing at various universities since 2015. The body plays a central role in her practice. In 2021, she founded WOW & FANCE, a workshop and research lab that explores the inclusion of somatic disciplines in writing practice.