Marmor, Quecksilber, Nebel. Woraus die Welt gemacht ist

Reading and discussion with Judith Schalansky, moderated by Daniela Strigl
In the first of her three new essays and stories, we encounter a block of solid marble weighing several tons; Schalansky takes us light-footedly into her reflections on marble as a means of appropriating the world, attracted by its mass and materiality. A workshop at the art academy in Guadalajara turns into a bold, mercurial performance in support of book culture. And the reconstruction of a long-ago ascent of the mostly fog-shrouded Brocken is condensed into an encyclopaedia of opacity, which seeks enlightenment in the unknown. Solid, liquid, permeable: Her new collection of essays "Marmor, Quecksilber, Nebel" fits in wonderfully with our annual theme for the 25th anniversary of the Literaturhaus, "Schweben. A program of contrasts in difficult times", which seeks new spaces for thought in a petrified world. Judith Schalansky's work includes the internationally successful bestseller "Atlas der abgelegenen Inseln" and the novel "Der Hals der Giraffe". She is the editor of "Naturkunde" and lives as a writer and designer in Berlin.

Supported by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation, Literature Summer 2026