Readings and a writing workshop in East Belgium

Recently I visited three schools in East Belgium to give seven book readings and one writing workshop. They took place in Eupen and Sankt Vith, two cities which belong to the German-speaking Community of Belgium.

Since the area – especially Sankt Vith – was severely affected by the Ardennes Offensive in 1944, the people in the area are very interested in history. This also became clear when several pupils raised their hands simultaneously after the reading to ask questions and tell me more about what their ancestors had experienced.

For the writing workshop, I had prepared a programme with theoretical input, practical writing exercises, group tasks and reflection phases. The focus was on biographical writing and experience reports. I told the students more about choosing the right narrative perspective, emphasising important aspects in a sentence, creating tension in the story and fluid chapter transitions. 

Also, we practised the classic technique of “Show, don’t tell”. For example, instead of stating a fact – “The atmosphere was cheerful” –, you should rather show it: “The people laughed, children played in the garden and everyone had a smile on their face.”

This creates strong images in the reader’s mind. The same happens when you use metaphors, similes and contrasts. When we talked about that, one student remembered a contrast sentence from my book “Schüsse in der Stille” which they had read in class before: “For the Dutch, chocolate falls from the sky; for us, the bombs fall” (translation). Such contrasts produce pictures that people will remember.

Furthermore, we practised how to write in a vivid and varied way, using clear language and synonyms. For example, instead of using pale worlds like “dog” or “car”, you should rather be as precise as possible. It is a difference whether a person walks with a Husky, a Golden Retriever or a Chihuahua, or whether a person drives a Porsche or a Fiat.

At the end, the students had some time to write an own text which they read aloud in the group. This way, they could apply what they had learned and give feedback to the others about what they did well.

Later, one of the teachers showed me the city of Sankt Vith and told me more about the history and the East Belgian identity. I learned that the people are very aware of the fact that they belong to a protected minority. They have a strong connection to Germany, watch almost only German television and follow the Bundesliga matches, but at the same time they support the Belgian national football team and feel fully Belgian. For some, it is therefore sometimes difficult to define the own identity.

It is repeatedly very insightful being in this linguistically and culturally interesting region.