DIE NACHT DER ALTEN FEUER. Lesung und Gespräch mit der finnischen Autorin Hanna Meretoja

In the organizer's words:

The Finnish summer ends on the last Saturday in August. On this evening, the fires of Finnish tradition light up in many archipelagos - a ritual between light and darkness, farewells and new beginnings. Hanna Meretoja chooses this moment as a resonance chamber for a profound reflection on friendship, family and transience. When Elea spends the evening with her husband Otto, her children and her closest friends in their vacation home, a revelation shatters the familiar mood. In the glow of the campfire and the semi-darkness of the sauna, more secrets come to light that will call their friendship and all life decisions into question.

Hanna Meretoja (*1977 in Kaarina) is a literary scholar and professor of comparative literature at the University of Turku. She researches narrative theory, cultural memory research and trauma studies. She published her literary debut, The Night of the Old Fires, which was highly acclaimed in Finland.

Stefan Moster (*1964 in Mainz) is an author and translator living in Berlin and Porvoo, Finland. In 2022, he was awarded the Helmut M. Braem Translator's Prize for his overall translation work. In 2025, he received the Johann Heinrich Voß Prize for Translation for his translation of Finnish literature into German.

The event is being held in cooperation with the International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC) at Justus Liebig University Giessen, the International Doctoral Program "Literature and Cultural Studies" (IPP) and the Cultural Office of the City of Giessen in the Hermann-Levi-Saal (concert hall in the town hall, Berliner Platz 1, 35390 Giessen). The event will be moderated by Stefan Moster. Prof. Dr. Kirsten von Hagen will give a welcoming address. Admission is €6, reduced €4 and free for LZG members and students. Access to the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Price information:

Admission: €6, reduced €4, free for LZG members and students