German in the UK

For the German Section at Newcastle University, the second semester opened with a special treat: From 25 to 29 January 2010, Angelika Overath returned for the fourth time as German Writer in Residence, conducting a week-long series of workshops, readings and creative activities for students and staff.

During this week she led a workshop programme with the university's first year students, as well as several creative writing workshops at the Hatton Gallery. After reading, discussing and analysing poems and short stories, the students started to produce their own texts. They wrote Elfchen (short poems consisting of eleven words), text portraits and short stories based on five random words.

The Wednesday was open to all students of German and the wider public. In the afternoon, a cross-disciplinary workshop took place in conjunction with the Hatton Gallery. Participants created text collages in front of the famous Merzbarn wall (part of the former studio, installation and all-round work of art by Kurt Schwitters) and the resulting posters were exhibited alongside this dadaistic work of art. In the evening, a dialogue reading took place: Angelika Overath's readings from her German collection of biographical brainteasers Genies und ihre Geheimnisse were combined with their English translations and readings by Nicholas Johnston (Newcastle graduate of the MA in Professional Translation).