Review: January–April 2026

The first 2,5 months of 2026, I spent in Voorthuizen in the Netherlands for a focussed writing time and further research. During this period, I gave school readings in the nearby County of Bentheim (Bad Bentheim, Schüttorf and Emlichheim) which were supported by the “Arbeitskreis Eine Welt e. V. Nordhorn”.

Afterwards, I gave a reading in Berufskolleg Kleve, the biggest school of North Rhine-Westphalia with nearly 5000 students. Around 280 of them attended the reading on this year’s “Europe Day” with the motto peace, where the students could book different workshops and events.

In April, I exhibited my book on the book fair “Liber Lestihr” in Solingen, together at a shared stand with Thomas Clemens and his sailing report “Atlantikwind”. It was a good opportunity to find new readers and to network with other authors. 

In Luxemburg, I was invited to come to the school “Lycée Guillaume Kroll” in Esch-sur-Alzette. Like my last reading in Luxemburg, it was a double reading together with the author Dr. Kathrin Mess and the moderator Martina Roth. It took place as a part of the initiative “Rucksaksbibliothéik” in which stories about remembrance are brought into the schools. During the event, the television broadcaster Uelzechtkanal recorded a TV report which will be broadcasted in the next weeks.

In those four months of the year, further research brought me to Weeze, the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Eupen, Malmedy, Chenogne and Bastogne. I am looking forward to the next places to travel to.