When does the reading with Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus take place?

The event begins on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 7:30 PM.

Where does the event take place?

The reading takes place at Johanniskirche, Johanniskirchplatz 1, 33615 Bielefeld.

What is "Non-native" about?

The work connects childhood memories in Israel with family history, questions of Jewish belonging, and reflections on Israel, Palestine, and Germany.

Who is Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus?

Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus is an Israeli writer, poet, and translator born in 1987 in Haifa, who has lived in Berlin since 2011 and writes in Hebrew and German.

Is there a discussion round?

The event format is announced as a conversation and reading.

What does it cost to enter?

No confirmed ticket price is provided in the available event information.

Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus talks about homeland, memory, and Israel in Bielefeld

Name: "Non-native" Talk & Reading with Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus
Start: 2026-10-13T19:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-13T21:00:00+02:00
Location: Johanniskirche (ev.)

Between Israel and Germany: Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus reads from "Non-native"

Where can Jewish women and men be native today – in Israel, Palestine, or Germany? On October 13, 2026, the audience at Johanniskirche Bielefeld will meet the writer, poet, and translator Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus. The event combines conversation and reading and is dedicated to the tension between childhood, memory, belonging, and current political reality.

Childhood Memories and Historical Experience

"Non-native" brings together personal memory and societal analysis. Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus recounts his childhood in Israel, the history of his family overshadowed by the Shoah, and the historical conditions that shape identity and homeland. His literary language oscillates between autobiographical approach, political essay, and reflective contemporary literature.

A Literary Voice Between Multiple Languages

The author, born in Haifa in 1987, has lived in Berlin since 2011. He writes in Hebrew and German, translates German literature into Hebrew, and works as a freelance author, poet, and translator. His studies in philosophy and comparative literature in Berlin, Vienna, and Paris provide a profound background for his precise, language-conscious prose.

Dotan-Dreyfus became known, among other things, for his debut novel "Birobidzhan", which was on the longlist for the German Book Prize in 2023 and was awarded the Blogger Prize for Literature as the best debut novel. Critics praised the inventiveness, lyrically trained tone, and Jewish humor of the novel. In "Non-native", a linguistic art emerges that intertwines individual experience with history and political discourse.

Discussion about Belonging and Current Politics

The reading focuses on Israel, Palestine, and Germany, as well as the question of how Jewish identity can be narrated in a time of growing nationalism and militarism. Childhood memories do not retreat into the private realm but become a literary access to history, present, and responsibility.

The reading atmosphere in Johanniskirche promises a concentrated literary experience: an immediate author encounter, an audible language, and space for questions, nuances, and dissent. The format gives literature enthusiasts a personal access to a socially relevant work.

Conclusion: Literature as a Conversation about Homeland

Visitors can expect an evening about origin, memory, and the difficult search for a place where one feels belonging. Anyone wanting to experience contemporary literature with political resonance, linguistic artistry, and personal perspective should attend this reading live at Johanniskirche Bielefeld.