Grimm Visiting Professorship 2016 at the University of Kassel goes to author and musician Sven Regener

With his debut novel "Herr Lehmann" (2001), Sven Regener became known to a wide audience as a writer. Other novels by Regener include "Neue Vahr Süd," "Der kleiner Bruder" and "Magical Mystery oder die Rückkehr des Karl Schmidt. Regener is also the founder and singer of the successful band "Element of Crime," for which he has written numerous and always original German-language song lyrics. He wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of "Herr Lehmann."

As a visiting professor, Regener will give a public lecture at the end of May on the topic "Zwischen Depression und Witzelsucht: Humor in Literature." This will be followed by a public reading of his novel "Neue Vahr Süd" and the seminar "Narrative Perspectives with Herr Lehmann," which is also open to interested parties. The exact dates are yet to be announced.

"As the singer and songwriter of the band 'Element of Crime,' Sven Regener has been one of the most stimulating German-language artists for more than 30 years, writing music history not only in this country with 'Weißes Papier' (1993) or 'Mittelpunkt der Welt' (2005)," Dr. Stefan Greif, professor of modern German literature at the University of Kassel, praised him. "With his Lehmann trilogy, he has also presented his very own, pop-literary, unusually humorous reappraisal of the 'Wende era,' which is now also being adapted for the theater stage, comics or film. Not to be forgotten are his audio book productions and film projects, which make Sven Regener one of the most versatile contemporary authors."

The Grimm Visiting Professorship has existed at the University of Kassel for more than 20 years thanks to the support of the Kasseler Sparkasse. It is awarded each year to a significant German-language author. Before Regener, the guest professorships were held by the future Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller, Ilija Trojanow and, last year, the children's book author Paul Maar.

Note: The Grimm Visiting Professorship is not to be confused with the Research Professorship "The Works and Activities of the Brothers Grimm" at the University of Kassel. The holder of this endowed professorship, which is scheduled to run for several years, is Grimm researcher Prof. Dr. Holger Ehrhardt.

Contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de