When does the reading with Nora Gomringer take place?

The reading takes place on Friday, October 16, 2026. Doors open at 7:30 PM, starts at 8:00 PM.

Where does the event take place?

The venue is the literature stage on the ground floor of the City Library Bielefeld at Neumarkt 1 in 33602 Bielefeld.

What is the admission fee?

The regular admission fee is 15 euros. Reduced tickets are available for 10 euros.

Is there an evening box?

An evening box is only available if there are still tickets available on the event evening.

Is the event space accessible?

Yes, the event space is accessible. Audio devices are available for assistance; any need should be communicated in advance.

How can I reach the city library?

The tram stops Hauptbahnhof and Jahnplatz are nearby. The underground car park Willy-Brandt-Platz offers 400 parking spaces.

Nora Gomringer on Loss and Memory: A Literary Evening in Bielefeld

Name: Literature Days Bielefeld - Nora Gomringer reads from The Child Practices Death on the Guinea Pig
Start: 2026-10-16T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-16T22:00:00+02:00
Location: Stadtbibliothek Bielefeld

Nora Gomringer reads in Bielefeld about loss, memory, and the narratable mother

On Friday, October 16, 2026, Nora Gomringer will be a guest at the 31st Bielefeld Literature Days. In the central library at Neumarkt, the award-winning author will read from her book The Child Practices Death on the Guinea Pig and address a question that hovers between biography, mourning work, and literary self-examination: Is a mother narratable – and what would be gained by it?

A Journey into the Past

Four years after her mother's death, Nora Gomringer confronts the need to keep a loved one visible through language. Her book combines personal memory with essayistic reflection and opens a space where loss is not only experienced as a private fate but also as a literary form.

The reading promises a concentrated encounter with an author whose linguistic art shifts between poetry, prose, spoken word, and poetic performance. Gomringer's texts are characterized by precise observation, rhythmic mobility, and a distinctive connection of seriousness and intellectual sharpness.

Literary Quality and Cultural Discourse

Nora Gomringer is one of the prominent voices in contemporary German-language literature. She studied English, German studies, and art history in Bamberg, has directed the International Artists' House Villa Concordia since 2010, and has published numerous volumes of poetry and essays. For her work, she has received multiple awards including the Jacob Grimm Prize for the German Language, the Joachim Ringelnatz Prize, the Else Lasker-Schüler Poetry Prize, and in 2015 the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize.

Her literature often moves at the intersections of spoken and written language. Especially in the author encounter, the performative power of her texts becomes evident: voice, breath, pauses, and linguistic precision give immediate presence to the literary material. This creates a reading atmosphere where memory does not remain abstract but emerges as a sensory and intimate literary experience.

The Central Library as the Stage of the Literature Days

The central library at Neumarkt transforms during the Literature Days into a vibrant meeting point for literature lovers. Among bookshelves and the concentrated listening of the audience, the everyday proximity of the library combines with the special tension of a public reading.

Doors open at 7:30 PM, and the reading starts at 8:00 PM. The regular admission is 15 euros, and reduced tickets cost 10 euros. Admission tickets are available in advance; an evening box will only be available if seats are still free on the event evening.

Conclusion: Experience an Author Live

Nora Gomringer's reading in Bielefeld delves into the questions of memory, family origins, and the possibility of retelling a person through language. Visitors can expect an intense author encounter with literary quality, emotional depth, and linguistic craftsmanship. Anyone who wants to experience contemporary literature not only by reading but through voice and atmosphere should not miss this evening at the Bielefeld Literature Days.