We thought we could fly - 39th Freiburg Literature Talk: Matinee with Daniela Dröscher, Katerina Poladjan, Iris Wolff and Matthias Jügler

For the grand finale of the 39th Freiburger Literaturgespräch, writer and editor Matthias Jügler takes us into a zoological cabinet of curiosities with the anthology "Wir dachten, wir könnte fliegen" (Penguin, 2025, illustrated by Barbara Dziadosz). Nineteen extinct animal and plant species are brought back to life by renowned authors through the magic of imagination in literary portraits: two majestically strutting clouded leopard ladies whose spots resemble clouds. A manatee dancing the mazurka in a red sequined dress, enchanting everyone around her with her grandeur. And a tiger with golden-cinnamon brown fur that takes an explorer's heart by storm.

Poetic, moving and sometimes fantastic - in impressively polished short stories, the authors bring past creatures back to life. This morning, Matthias Jügler talks to authors Daniela Dröscher, Katerina Poladjan and Iris Wolff about the disappearance of species with evocative names such as the Formosan clouded leopard, Steller's sea cow and Caspian tiger and about the power of literature.
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Photos from left to right: © Linda Rosa Saal, Francesco Gattoni, Andreas Thies

Sponsors: Cultural Office of the City of Freiburg, Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg, Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau, Guzzoni-Federer-Stiftung, Schweizer Kulturstiftung Pro Helvetia and Lyrikempfehlungen für Kinder, kindly supported by Buchhandlung jos fritz and Park Hotel Post

Cooperation partner: Stadttheater Freiburg

Date: 9.11.2025, 11 a.m.
Location: Stadttheater: Winterer Foyer, Bertoldstraße 46
Admission: 16+1/10 euros

Literature talk
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