Alle meine Mütter

Space days. Literature, participation and democracy

Reading and discussion with Lena Gorelik, moderated by Insa Wilke

"You see it immediately. The pity, the relief that runs after the pity. That this chalice
has passed you by. Your gaze jumps to your own children, perhaps you stroke their heads. When no one is looking, of course. How good that you are healthy. Or even: How good that you are normal. That means: How good that you're not like him. This cup that has passed you by is my son, my daughter, my life." Lena Gorelik
Lena Gorelik's new novel "All My Mothers" tells the story of a special, often lifelong complex relationship. What it means to be an unwanted mother or not to be a mother, or to be the mother of a chronically ill child who will be with you for life. What it means to accept a child, to lose it or not to be able to let go. Deepest love, doubt, very different forms of happiness. "All My Mothers" marks the start of the new "Weltalltage" series. Inclusion and social participation are benchmarks of a democracy. A society in which as many people as possible can get involved is more resilient in the face of extremist tendencies - raising awareness and breaking down barriers pave the way for this. On this path, "All My Mothers" broadens our view - and incidentally also our hearts. Lena Gorelik, born in St. Petersburg in 1981, lives in Munich. She has received numerous awards for her literary work. In 2023, she curated the 1st Stuttgart Literature Festival.

Supported by the Innovation Fund of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, in cooperation with the network of literature houses