When will the reading with Robert Menasse take place?

The reading will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Where will the event take place?

The venue is the literature stage on the ground floor of the city library Bielefeld, Neumarkt 1, 33602 Bielefeld.

How much is the admission fee?

The regular admission is €15. A reduced ticket costs €10, and the livestream costs €7.

When does entry begin?

Entry and box office open at 7:30 PM, if tickets are still available.

What is “The Life Decision” about?

The novella tells the story of the EU official Franz Fiala, who plans his early retirement after farmer protests and simultaneously learns of a severe cancer diagnosis. He conceals both from his partner and his mother.

Is there musical accompaniment?

Yes. Thomas Schweitzer accompanies the event with saxophone music.

Robert Menasse reads about illness, Europe, and the quiet decisions of life

Name: Literature Days Bielefeld – Robert Menasse reads from “The Life Decision”
Start: 2026-10-07T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-07T22:00:00+02:00
Location: Stadtbibliothek

Robert Menasse reads in Bielefeld from “The Life Decision”

On October 7, 2026, the city library of Bielefeld will become a stage for an intensive author encounter: Robert Menasse presents his new novella “The Life Decision” as part of the Literature Days. The reading connects political present, familial closeness, and the existential question of how a person decides about their life in the face of illness, farewell, and disappointed convictions.

Between Brussels and Vienna: A Life Becomes Unbalanced

At the center of the novella is the EU official Franz Fiala. Triggered by farmer protests outside his office window at the European Commission in Brussels, he makes the decision to retire early. Shortly thereafter, this decision takes on a second, fateful dimension: Fiala learns of his severe cancer diagnosis.

He conceals both his resignation and the diagnosis from his partner in Brussels and his elderly mother in Vienna. From this constellation, Robert Menasse develops a psychologically precise narrative about concealment, care, and the fragile architecture of familial relationships. The pendulum movement between Brussels and Vienna becomes the narrative rhythm of an existence that oscillates between professional ascent, personal exit, and European disillusionment.

A Novella about Illness, Closeness, and the European Idea

“The Life Decision” is not a third novel about European institutions after “The Capital” and “The Expansion.” Instead, Menasse concentrates his literary quality on the life story of a terminally ill Austrian EU official. Political disappointment remains present: Through Fiala's private crisis, the doubt in a common Europe, whose promises seem to be failing in reality, shines through.

The novella combines socio-political observation with an unusual love story between mother and son. Particularly in moments of deception, a new closeness emerges, which unveils memories and alters familiar roles. Menasse's style works with intellectual sharpness, gentle irony, and a language that always connects the private with the cultural discourse of the present.

Reading Atmosphere with Music by Thomas Schweitzer

The event takes place on the literature stage on the ground floor of the city library. In addition to the reading, Thomas Schweitzer provides musical accents on the saxophone. This creates a literary experience in which voice, linguistic artistry, and sound enter into dialogue with each other.

Robert Menasse, born in 1954 in Vienna, studied Germanic studies, philosophy, and political science and taught for several years at the University of São Paulo. As a novelist, essayist, and cultural critic, he has shaped the German-speaking literary scene for decades. For his work, he has received, among other awards, the German Book Prize, the Heinrich Mann Prize, the Erich Fried Prize, and the Austrian State Prize for Literature.

An Evening for Readers with a Sense for Contemporary Literature

The reading is aimed at all who wish to connect literary storytelling with social reflection. Menasse's new novella opens a concentrated space for questions of responsibility, life decisions, illness, familial loyalty, and the state of Europe. The evening promises an intensive author encounter with a distinctive voice of contemporary literature.

Experiencing Robert Menasse live means perceiving a novella not just as a book but as a linguistic event. Secure your place at the Literature Days Bielefeld and experience “The Life Decision” in the special atmosphere of the city library.