Ulrich Homann: Das hast du dir doch alles nur ausgedacht (Literaturtage Recklinghausen 2026)

Ulrich Homann: “You just made all that up”

Amid the Zollverein Coal Mine, newsstands, bars, and soccer fields, Uli grows up in northern Essen in the 1960s and ’70s. A high school dropout, a dreamer, and a storyteller—in a world full of quirky characters, rough Ruhr Valley humor, and unusual encounters, he discovers the power of imagination.

In *You Just Made All That Up*, Ulrich Homann recounts his childhood and youth in the Ruhr region with plenty of wit and heart. Amid quirky characters, friendships, and the desire to swim against the current, the story unfolds of a young person who finds his own path through books and stories. His journey ultimately leads him to his first “publishing office”—a converted French fry stand where big dreams begin.

Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and always with a loving gaze toward the Ruhr region, Homann weaves personal memories with contemporary history and shows that imagination is sometimes the best way to understand reality.

An entertaining evening full of Ruhr Valley charm, original anecdotes, and great stories.