Bianca Nawrath - Harbour Front Literaturfestival

Dates: September 23, 2026 / September 29, 2026 / October 6, 2026, 8:00 p.m. each day at Rathauspassage

Shame accompanies us throughout our lives. It silences us, makes us look away, or causes us to doubt ourselves. At the same time, it reveals a great deal about who we are, how we love, and what expectations society places on us.

Together with Prof. Dr. Sonja Bröning, Bianca Nawrath discusses the many faces of shame—in sexuality, relationships, and our social interactions. Drawing on her books *Pop Culture: How We Stop Being a Sexual Fantasy and Start Having Sexual Fantasies* and *Beautiful Shame*, the discussion will focus on female desire, societal expectations, responsibility, and the question of why looking away is often easier than looking closely.

When does shame become an obstacle—and when can it teach us something about ourselves? How do outside perspectives shape our relationship to our own bodies, to pleasure, and to other people? And what responsibility do we bear for one another in a society that all too often prefers to look away?

An evening about vulnerability, courage, and the strength to face the things we’d most like to hide.