Abgrund-Symphonie – Wort. Klang. Zumutung. Lesung

Abgrund-Symphonie – Words. Sound. An outrage.

The texts burrow into their own bodies and reflect what is torn apart, what is close at hand, and what has fallen silent, so that the longing for love almost matures into an irony of contradiction. It is about desire and alienation, about the struggle with oneself – and about what might ultimately remain …

The words play with one another, tear themselves apart and open up new spaces and perspectives: out of tune, united, weeping softly, aware of one another.

A literary evening that does not explain itself, but rather lays itself bare and exposes itself: to doubt, to powerlessness, to the beauty of the unfinished.

Willi van Hengel, born in 1963, studied philosophy, German language and literature, and political science in Bonn. After completing his Master’s degree, he began writing fiction and published his first novel, *Lucile*, in 2006.

This was followed in 2008 by his second novel, *Mobus vitalis*, and in 2010 by the poetry collection *Wunderblöcke*. He has lived by the Weißer See in Berlin since 2008, where his two plays, “De Janeiro – ein Punk ertrinkt in Weißensee” (2018) and “flanzendörfer” (2021), also premiered.

In 2022, his novel *Dieudedet oder Sowas wie eine Schneeflocke* was published, and in 2024, he released his first audiobook, *Wir werden über die Einfachheit unserer Liebe staunen*, in collaboration with Magnus Tautz.

In 2025, two works saw the light of day: the novel “Entstellung des Gesichts. Eine Verirrung” and his symphonic audiobook “Keiner Lippen Winter schweigt. Zweischneidiges Selbst: bin vollendet” (with Magnus Tautz and Tobias Breyer).

Professionally, van Hengel works as an editor for several publishing houses and at the German Bundestag.

Nadja Felscher, born in 1971, lives in and loves the Brandenburg countryside. She discovered writing through music and published her first collection of poetry, *ICH BLICKE*, in 2011. Since then, her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies.

In “Papierne Stunden” (2023), she brings together a selection of texts from the years 2012 to 2022.

As a founding member of SternenBlick e. V., she is committed to promoting contemporary poetry, oversees calls for submissions and competitions, and organises the SternenBlick reading stage. She is also active in the Kulturkreis Hohen Neuendorf e. V., where she leads the writers’ group SchreibMut.

Alongside her passion for the written word, she organises cultural events, is a spokesperson for DESIDERIUMX / Das Abendland Projekt, and is an enthusiastic jazz fan – not only as a listener but also as a singer.

Magnus Tautz, born in 1968, studied German language and literature and theology in Erfurt and Berlin. He works as a teacher and lives in Berlin. His poetry and short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, including *Poesiealbum neu*. In 2018, he was awarded second place in the Ulrich Grasnick Poetry Prize; his poetry collection *Später auf den Chausseen* was also published.

Together with Willi van Hengel, he has published several audiobooks and accompanies readings with improvised piano music.

Tautz is a member of the Society for Contemporary Poetry (GZL) and stages his own texts and songs in theatre projects. He has been a member of the cabaret group “Die Lehrkörper” since 2017. As a musician, he is also part of the basement band “Die goldenen Gitarren”.