When will the reading with Ronya Othmann take place?

The reading will take place on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Where will the event take place?

The venue is the Bielefeld Adult Education Center at Ravensberger Park 1 in 33607 Bielefeld.

Which book will Ronya Othmann read from?

Ronya Othmann will read from her novel „Seventy-Four“, which was on the shortlist for the German Book Prize in 2024.

What topics are at the center?

The central themes are the genocide against the Êzîdis, memory, origins, witnessing, and the current situation in northeast Syria.

How long does the event last?

The event is scheduled from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Who organizes the reading?

The reading is organized by the Institute for Yazidi Studies and the Bielefeld Adult Education Center.

Ronya Othmann reads Seventy-Four: An Evening about Memory, Violence, and Literary Witnessing

Name: Reading Ronya Othmann „Seventy-Four“
Start: 2026-11-13T19:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-13T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Volkshochschule Bielefeld

Ronya Othmann reads „Seventy-Four“ in Bielefeld

On November 13, 2026, the Bielefeld Adult Education Center will become the place for an intense author encounter: Ronya Othmann will read from her novel „Seventy-Four“. The event, organized by the Institute for Yazidi Studies and the Adult Education Center, combines literary artistry with discussions on memory, genocide, and the current situation in northeast Syria.

Literature between Witnessing and Memory

„Seventy-Four“ seeks a literary form for the unspeakable: the genocide against the Êzîdis committed by fighters of the so-called Islamic State in 2014 in Shingal. Othmann's novel leads to the origins and crime scenes, into camps and at frontlines, into the living rooms of relatives and into German courtrooms. An Êzîdi village in Turkey, where no one lives today, will also be part of this multifaceted narrative journey.

A Novel as a Literary Archive

Ronya Othmann combines autobiographical research, biography, travel literature, and historiography into an organic whole. Her style employs precise observation, documentary clarity, and a sensitive perception of the fractures between personal memory and collective history. The reading thus opens a concentrated access to a work that intertwines literary quality with political responsibility.

A Distinct Voice of Contemporary Literature

The author, born in Munich in 1993, writes poetry, prose, and essays, and works as a journalist. Among her notable publications are the novel „The Summers“, the poetry collection „the crimes“, and „Seventy-Four“. For her writing, Othmann has received, among other awards, the MDR Literature Prize, the Mara Cassens Prize, and the Audience Prize of the Ingeborg Bachmann Competition. „Seventy-Four“ was on the shortlist for the German Book Prize 2024 and was awarded the Düsseldorf Literature Prize and the SWR Best List Prize.

Reading Atmosphere at the Adult Education Center

The reading atmosphere promises an intense literary experience: Othmann's voice makes the tension between narrated present, historical traces, and familial tradition immediately palpable. Following the reading, the connection to the current situation in northeast Syria will add another highlight to the evening.

Conclusion: Literature as a Form of Observation

The reading in Bielefeld is aimed at everyone who wishes to experience contemporary literature as a space for memory, insight, and societal discourse. Ronya Othmann's „Seventy-Four“ connects linguistic artistry with witnessing and opens up an urgent view of a story that must not be forgotten. Those who want to experience literature live, concentrated, and in direct exchange with a significant voice of today will find a particularly impressive evening here.