"The Summers" - Literature prize winner reading 2024 with Ronya Othmann

Reading with Ronya Othmann, winner of the Usedom Literature Prize 2024 and award ceremony for the 14th Usedom Literature Prize

Laudation and moderation: Andreas Kossert

Leyla, the daughter of a German mother and a Yazidi Kurdish father, spends her summers in her grandparents' Yazidi home village in northern Syria. When the Assad regime and the Islamic State plunge the region into chaos, Leyla is confronted with her own family history. "The Summers" is a literary gem that uses sensitive language to capture the enormous emotional strength that people living between two cultures have to muster. Ronya Othmann's novel is a wake-up call that reminds us of the fragility of supposed certainties and delivers a literary masterpiece for the 21st century.

Further information on the award ceremony can be found here.

(c) Picture: Amrei-Marie