Finissage »Happy in Berlin?«
Musa Okwonga und Paul Scraton in conversation with Sofia Permiakova
In the 1920s, Berlin was the place to be. It was the capital of sexual freedom and thriving nightlife, the centre of European cinema and psychoanalysis, and was marked by growing political unrest. With so much to offer, the city attracted many British writers and artists. In the 2020s, it seems that Berlin is still a desirable destination for many, and the city’s past—and present—is full of untold stories, from which contemporary authors can draw inspiration for their work.
To close the exhibition ‚Happy in Berlin?‘, this reading event will bring together the 1920s and the 2020s. Berlin-based British writers Musa Okwonga and Paul Scraton will read from their own work about Berlin, and from a selected Berlin text from the 1920s and ‘30s. Almost one hundred years apart, read side by side, what do all these works tell us about Berlin today? The discussion will be moderated by Sofia Permiakova, lecturer and researcher at the Centre for British Studies, HU Berlin.