“A Brighter Shadow of the Future” – Essays on Climate Change by Elena Boeck, Katrin Imma Deibert, Verena Kosmala, Julia Noack, Susann Mathis, Elisabeth Pohl, and Antonia Rötger

Imaginative and witty, the stories expand the realm of possibilities; they paint a future in which we remain human, with all our flaws and quirks, but also with warmth and compassion.

These and other texts have been published in the anthology *Stories from the Climate Future* (VHS-Steglitz, 2025), which was preceded by several writing workshops of the same name led by Antonia Rötger and Katrin Deibert.

Using literary inspiration and the latest research findings, they encouraged participants to tell stories of a future shaped by community.

During the evening, seven authors will read their climate-themed texts as well as new stories. Katrin Deibert will host the event. The first ten attendees will receive a free copy of the book. First come, first served!

Elena Boeck worked for many years as an editor at major media companies and now works for an environmental NGO. Her passion lies in communication—especially where new digital avenues are emerging. She is convinced that creative and artistic forms of expression offer great potential for science communication.

Katrin Imma Deibert lives in Berlin, where she was born and raised. She writes and publishes short stories and novels. She edits texts for the architectural firm Eike Becker. She has successfully participated in writing competitions and is currently working on a novel. She teaches writing courses at the VHS Steglitz and is a member of the Association of German Writers and the Berlin Authors’ Forum.

Verena Kosmala is a freelance artist. As an author, she forces her characters into situations that bring their innermost selves to light. She loves the raw power that arises when vulnerability and courage collide. She lives in Aichach near Augsburg and is a member of the Aichach Art Association.

Julia Noack works as an inclusion assistant; in her free time, she creates stepping-stone biotopes, plants forests in Teltow, and is active in species conservation. She illustrates, writes stories and poems, and works in writing courses and for literary competitions. In 2005, she published *Die Magie des Brotes* (The Magic of Bread); in 2025, one of her short stories appeared in the collection *Geschichten aus der Klimazukunft* (Stories from the Climate Future).

Susann Mathis holds a Ph.D. in physics and works as a curator and consultant. Her prose explores family ties, memory, dependence, and guilt. She is currently publishing the serialized novel *Forschungsreise* on Substack, which tells the story of a scientist under pressure. Her other publications include contributions to anthologies as well as work as an editor and journalist.

Elisabeth Pohl loves to lose herself in the aesthetics of everyday life. With a camera and notebook, she captures images, thoughts, and fleeting moments. Sometimes these give rise to texts or stories. When she isn’t living and working in Berlin, she seeks inspiration by the sea.

Antonia Rötger started out as a physicist and has developed her writing skills over time. She loves research as a cultural achievement of humanity, but does not believe it is a wise strategy to make our home planet uninhabitable for us and then fly to Mars. Together with Katrin Deibert, she has been leading writing workshops since 2019, in which nature always plays a role.