Jan Decker is Poet in Residence
Writing for the ears
- von Cathrin Becker
- 21.10.2026
They spark our imagination or make us think: radio plays and radio features are an art form in their own right – and Jan Decker masters the art of audio storytelling like no other. The author is now presenting his work as Poet in Residence at the UDE under the title: ‘Radio is in the mind. Writing radio plays and features’ . From 3 to 5 November, the Vienna-based writer will be teaching and discussing how he goes about this and what it takes in his poetry lectures in Essen and during a public reading.
Jan Decker prefers – and does most of his work – writing for the ears. But how are audio productions created? What are the specific aesthetic and practical considerations when writing for radio? The author will discuss these and other questions together with UDE students. “Jan Decker will tell us what personally inspired him to write and shaped his style. He will also provide insights into the appeal of audio storytelling and demonstrate the possibilities and limitations offered by the radio formats of radio plays and features,” says literature and film scholar Peter Ellenbruch, who is organising the events.
Jan Decker, born in 1977, studied at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. He has written more than 30 radio plays and features for ARD, Deutschlandradio, ORF and SRF. He has also written numerous books, plays, libretti, short stories, essays, poems and articles. His work has received several awards, including the erostepost Literature Prize and the Johann-Gottfried-Seume Literature Prize. Jan Decker has taught at several universities, including the University of Osnabrück and the University of Vienna. He is a member of PEN Germany.
The programme:
Poetics lecture 1: Writing radio plays and features. The foundations of radio art in general and my own approach
Tuesday, 3 November, 4–6 pm, Library Hall, Essen Campus
Poetics lecture 2: Writing radio plays and features. The implications of writing for radio
Wednesday 4 November, 4–6 pm, Library Hall, Essen Campus
Reading from the novel „Der lange Schlummer“
Thursday 5 November, 6–8 pm, Casino (in the Studierendenwerk guest house)
All events are open to the public and free of charge.
Further information:
https://www.uni-due.de/germanistik/poet/
Peter Ellenbruch, Faculty of Humanities, Tel. 0201/183-3419, peter.ellenbruch@uni-due.de