About this Event
1122 West Campus Road, Lawrence, KS 66045
Join us for a reading by Ronya Othmann from the 2023 English translation of her 2020 book The Summers – a novel about cultural differences, issues of gender and sexuality, politics, and identity. Othmann, born in Munich, is an author, poet, and journalist whose work deals with themes of migration, homeland, and war.
The Summers narrates the coming of age of Leyla, who spends the school year in Germany but travels every summer to her father’s Kurdish village in Syria. As Leyla grows older, her sexual awakening takes a back seat to her cultural discoveries. She becomes increasingly disenchanted with her German friends’ indifference when ISIS troops enter the village, threatening the lives of her family.
Earlier this day, Ronya will host a brown bag talk at the Max Kade Center for German-American Studies discussing her experiences living in Germany, working in an international environment, writing and publishing, and having her work translated. The talk will be from 12-1:30pm. Bring your own lunch, but we will provide drinks and cookies!