Author Martin Beyer has recently been heavily criticized for his handling of historical events. A conversation about how he dealt with the allegations, the protagonist of his new novel and the lessons from “Me Too”.
from
Bernhard Bloechl, Bamberg
The shock was written all over his face when he had to endure the discussion at the Bachmann Prize. Martin Beyer, writer from Bamberg, was badly put to the test by the jury in Klagenfurt in the summer before the pandemic after he had read a text that describes the execution of the Scholl siblings from the perspective of an executioner’s assistant he invented. The controversial chapter is part of his novel And I Was There, which was published shortly thereafter. Now, two and a half years later, Beyer’s follow-up work has been published: “Tante Helene und das Buch der Kreise” (Ullstein) is a family story spanning several generations about an extraordinary woman on the search for her roots, her self-confidence and her artistic expression. A good opportunity to talk to the Germanist, born in 1976, about how historical figures are dealt with in literature. Because real life is also hidden behind Helene.