Angelique Geray & Sally Lisa Starken "Undercover unter Nazis"/ "Wenn der rechte Rand regiert" x Harbour Front Literaturfestival Hamburg

The far right is no longer just a fringe movement when it shifts the course of debates, recruits young people, attacks institutions, and begins to shape governments in Europe and the U.S. How does this movement operate from the inside? And what can we learn from countries where democracies are already under massive pressure?

This evening, two authors will come together, each approaching the same topic from very different perspectives. Angelique Geray conducted undercover research in the far-right scene. She attended demonstrations, rallies, and clandestine meetings, delving into codes, networks, social media strategies, and the mechanisms used to target and radicalize young people. Her book “Undercover Among Nazis: A Woman at the Heart of the Far-Right Scene” is an investigation into the propensity for violence within a scene that often presents itself publicly in a way that differs from how it operates internally.

In “When the Far Right Rules: The U.S., Italy, Poland—Germany: Democracies at a Tipping Point? — What We Must Do Now for Our Future,” she examines democracies where authoritarian forces have long since become a political reality or are dangerously close to taking over. Her question is not only how democracies collapse, but what is still holding them together.

Two book presentations and a discussion: on the question of how to talk about right-wing extremism without making it seem bigger—and without underestimating it.

Angelique Gerayworks as an investigative journalist for RTL; her undercover reports also appear in STERN. Previously, she worked for SPIEGEL, NDR, and BILD, among others.

Sally Lisa Starkenis a journalist, author, podcaster, and one of the most influential voices in political education on social media. Her book *Zu Besuch am rechten Rand* (Visiting the Far Right) reached No. 1 on the SPIEGEL bestseller list.