Reading and discussion with Susanne Hast
First, there are the places: her grandmother's garden, the light green psychiatric clinic, a village in northern Finland. The narrator returns there to understand why her childhood ended abruptly at the age of twelve. A crime was committed, but no one called the police, collected evidence or interviewed witnesses.
Image gallery
"Beweiskörper"
Did anything happen at all? Years later, she becomes an investigator in her own case; her body becomes an archive that remembers, even if the injuries are invisible. Her search for clues does not bring healing, but self-determination in dealing with the past.
In her debut novel, Susanna Hast explores traumatic experiences and sexual violence against women. She reflects on guilt, shame, sexuality and motherhood, drawing on authors such as Hélène Cixous and Maggie Nelson. The text is a feminist genre hybrid of novel, memoir and essay.
- Moderator: Tanja Küddelsmann, translator
Susanna Hast (born 1981) is an author, artist and musician. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Lapland, conducts research on war and violence, and teaches creative writing at the Uniarts Helsinki University of the Arts, among other subjects. Beweiskörper was awarded the 2022 Literature Prize of the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat for the best debut novel of the year.
Tanja Küddelsmann (born 1968) grew up bilingual (German-Finnish) and studied English and German literature. She has been working as a translator from Finnish since 2013.
A collaboration with the Finland Institute.
(IN GERMAN)
Additional information
Accessibility
The venue is wheelchair accessible and has appropriate toilet facilities.
Dates
November 2025
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