"Son Without a Father" by Feridun Zaimoglu is a gripping, haunting story about a grieving son, the cohesion of a family, deceptive memories and a journey to a foreign country - to his mother and his dead father. Zaimoglu poses the question of how we remember those who are closest to us and yet sometimes seem strangely alien to us. The book was nominated for the German Book Prize 2025.

In "Dein Vater hat die Taschen voller Kirschen", Ines Habich-Milović tells the story of Rieke and her daughter Maja, who are waiting for the return of Miko, who has disappeared. Rieke's memories of her husband send Maja on a wild journey from a Montenegrin village to 1980s Germany, from the Catholic quarter of Sarajevo to the sparkling strobe lights of Bochum's discos. The novel immediately made it onto the shortlist for the Ruhr 2025 Literature Prize.

Presenter and musician Murat Kayı brings the newcomer from Recklinghausen and the well-known bestselling author from Kiel into conversation with each other.

In cooperation with: literaturgebiet.ruhr, GREND cultural center

Supported by: Kunststiftung NRW

Price information:

VVK 12 euros, B.O. 14 euros. RuhrKultur.Card holders receive their ticket at half price. Ticket link here: https://literaturbuero-ruhr.de/veranstaltung/gladbeck-feridun-zaimoglu-und-ines-habich-milovic/ (prices there include fees)

Tickets can be purchased in advance without fees directly at GREND on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 am and 12 noon. RuhrKultur.Card holders receive their tickets at half price.