Leipzig Book Fair: Identity in Literature

We are looking forward to the reading with Salem Khalfani and Nassir Djafari at the Leipzig Book Fair at 11:30 a.m. in Hall 3 at Stand E401.

Salem Khalfani will read from his novel “The First Days of the World”. The protagonist retrospectively reports how he found his first love in the teacher Leili as a fourth grade student. Although he has to go through a tough emotional battle with his classmates because of her, he is happy that he sees the teacher every day and - also because of her - writes beautiful essays. He only becomes aware of the transience of time after the long summer holidays have begun and Leili then leaves the village school forever. But he can't forget his first love. He wrote (love) letters several times to the address of her home in Tehran without receiving an answer.

Nassir Djafari will read from his debut novel “One Week, One Life,” which is about a father-son conflict. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Timm locks himself in his room and rarely leaves it. Hamid does everything he can to get his son out. All his efforts come to nothing. He, who has always prided himself on having control over his life in every respect, falls into a life crisis when his son refuses to accept him. The two only tentatively get closer to each other again and take a trip to Peru together. Something happens there that changes everything. On Timm's 19th birthday, Hamid leaves the hotel in the Andean city of Cusco in the morning and disappears.