Literaturfestival „Nah und Fern“ im Metropolengarten. Lesung mit Mascha Unterlehberg

Saturday, July 24, 2026 4 pm

Masha Unterlehberg: When we smile

Jara stands on the old railroad bridge over the Ruhr and stares into the deep dark waters. Anto, who was just sitting next to her, has jumped into the river and never resurfaced. The only thing Jara can see from up here is the baseball bat they smashed a car window with that night and which now refuses to sink.
When Jara meets Anto for the first time, she may be the worst player on the soccer pitch, but she is still by far the bravest. The two become friends and it soon becomes clear that their sisterhood is above all else - they share lip gloss, cherry cola and violent fantasies. A new plan every evening, they have everything in view and everything under control. Until, little by little, their control slips away. The question remains: what to do with all the anger?
In her debut novel, Mascha Unterlehberg paints a captivating and powerful portrait of a tender friendship that has to assert itself against external pressure and the constant threat of violence - until it's time to fight back ...

MASCHA UNTERLEHBERG, born in Mülheim an der Ruhr, studied literature and art history in Freiburg and Paris as well as at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. She has worked in theaters in Germany and Switzerland, was a finalist in the 27th open mike and took part in the literature course in Klagenfurt in 2023 with 'Wenn wir lächeln'.

In 2025, Mascha Unterlehberg was shortlisted for the Ruhr Literature Prize with her novel.

Metropolis Garden

Am Dahlbusch, 45884 Gelsenkirchen

Free admission

VA: Metropolengarten Auf Dahlbusch e.V.

https://metropolengarten.de/