When does the event »Narrated World« take place?

The event takes place on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

Where does the reading take place?

The venue is the Literaturhaus Göttingen at Nikolaistraße 22, 37073 Göttingen.

Who presents »Narrated World«?

The literary scholar and author Steffen Martus presents his book »Narrated World«.

Who moderates the conversation?

Steffen Martus speaks with literary critic Miriam Zeh about literature and the present.

What is the admission fee?

Tickets are available from 11 euros.

What is »Narrated World« about?

Steffen Martus examines literature as a cultural practice and shows how narratives shape communities and influence perspectives on past, present, and future.

Steffen Martus on literature, society, and the narrated world of our present

Name: »Narrated World« – Steffen Martus in Göttingen
Start: 2026-11-17T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-17T22:00:00+01:00
Location: Literaturhaus Göttingen

How literature narrates our reality: Steffen Martus with »Narrated World« in Göttingen

Literature does not merely reflect its time. It organizes experiences, creates interpretive patterns, and shapes the perspective on past, present, and future. On November 17, 2026, the literary scholar Steffen Martus will present his book »Narrated World« at the Literaturhaus Göttingen.

Literature as a cultural practice

In »Narrated World«, Martus examines the interactions between literature and society. Narratives do not appear as mere forms of storytelling but as cultural forces: They create community, structure political perception, and influence how historical upheavals are understood.

Drawing from recent literary history, the author focuses on the changes since 1989. Changes in media, political shifts, and societal reorganizations gain a literary-historical perspective that combines analysis with contemporary observation.

An evening between reading and conversation

The event combines a reading with a conversation. Steffen Martus engages with literary critic Miriam Zeh and explores how art and the present interplay. The focus is not only on the book presentation but also on the question of what role literary language plays in a changing public sphere.

The reading atmosphere in the Literaturhaus Göttingen promises a concentrated literary experience: knowledgeable placement, precise argumentation, and the immediate experience of language and voice. For literature enthusiasts, there is an author encounter that combines literary quality with cultural studies expertise.

Steffen Martus: Literary studies with public impact

Steffen Martus, born in 1968, teaches as a professor of Modern German Literature at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He regularly writes for the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Die Zeit. For his scholarly work, he received the Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation in 2015.

His works combine historical accuracy with a keen sense for societal contexts. The biography »The Brothers Grimm« was nominated for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize. »Narrated World« continues this connection of literary history, contemporary diagnosis, and narrative artistry.

Conclusion: Experience literature live as a space for thought

»Narrated World« invites you to reconsider literature as a vibrant societal practice. Visitors can look forward to an evening about narratives, memory, media, and cultural change since 1989 – with Steffen Martus and Miriam Zeh in direct exchange. Those who want to experience literature not only by reading but also through its impact in conversation will find an inspiring space for thought at the Literaturhaus Göttingen.