Book launch: *Society* as a novel Author
Author Steffen Martus visits Essen
- von Melina Wachtling
- 15.04.2026
How can our present be recounted in literature? This is the question addressed by the Berlin-based literary scholar Steffen Martus in his latest book, *Erzählte Welt. Eine Literaturgeschichte der Gegenwart 1989 bis heute* (The Narrated World: A Literary History of the Present from 1989 to the Present Day). On Wednesday, 29 April 2026, he will be a guest speaker at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities in Essen. The event begins at 6.30 pm. Please register in advance.
In his book, Steffen Martus examines literary texts that bring to life the profound upheavals in the Federal Republic of Germany since 1989. In doing so, he combines archival research with a diagnosis of the times, without losing sight of literature’s own life.
In conversation with Julika Griem (Director of the College for Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Duisburg-Essen) and Friedrich Balke (Ruhr University Bochum), the discussion will focus on the possibilities and limitations of a contemporary-oriented literary history.
Steffen Martus is Professor of Modern German Literature at Humboldt University in Berlin and was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation in 2015. His book was published in 2025.
- Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2026, 6.30–8.00 pm
- Venue: College for Social Sciences and Humanities (University Alliance Ruhr), Lindenallee 39, 45127 Essen
- Registration: Please register for this public event by 28 April 2026.
About the College for Social Sciences and Humanities
The College for Social Sciences and Humanities promotes cutting-edge research in the humanities and social sciences within the University Alliance Ruhr and strengthens its international networking and visibility. As an Institute for Advanced Study, it creates a cross-university forum for the exploration and further development of innovative fields of research and provides impetus for interdisciplinary collaboration in the humanities and social sciences.
Further information:
To register: https://www.college-uaruhr.de/news-events/events/gesellschaft-als-roman-martus