From 5 September to 1 November 2025, US author Kathryn Scanlan will be a literature resident in the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. Her stay will kick off with an appearance at the 25th international literature festival berlin on 16 September 2025 (18:00) at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, where she will talk about literature, horses and milieus in transition together with Leipzig writer Clemens Meyer. On 24 October at 19:00, Kathryn Scanlan will present her latest book "Boxenstart" in a moderated discussion at the Hartmannfabrik in Chemnitz and talk about her impressions of Chemnitz.
Kathryn Scanlan is considered one of the most independent voices in contemporary US literature. In her work "Kick the Latch" (2022), which was published in 2024 under the title "Boxenstart" in the German translation by Jan Karsten, she tells of the life of a horse trainer from the Midwest and the harsh world between racetracks and horse betting. The book was honoured with the "Windham-Campbell Prize". Her texts are characterised by a documentary narrative style and a great closeness to the lives of the American working class. Her stories are often set in the cities of the Midwest, industrial places that have been facing the challenges of deindustrialisation for several decades. Chemnitz, which has always been an industrial and working-class city, also shares this history and present of transformation.
The invitation to Chemnitz is a tribute to Stefan Heym, one of the most important German-language writers and son of the city of Chemnitz. Following oppression and persecution under National Socialism, he fled to the USA via Czechoslovakia to study there. He later returned from the United States to war-torn Germany and became one of the critical public intellectuals of the late GDR. The stay is not only a reflection on transatlantic relations, but also builds a bridge between past and present, as both authors deal with the reality of workers' lives against the backdrop of social upheaval. After her return, Kathryn Scanlan will report on her experiences and literary works from the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 in a public event at the Goethe-Institut New York.
The residency programme is a joint initiative of Chemnitz 2025, the Goethe-Institut New York and the "international literature festival berlin". The aim is to create spaces for international literary encounters and reflection and, in particular, to promote dialogue between the USA and Germany.
Literature scholarship holder reads in Berlin and Chemnitz
