Saša Stanišić
I'm looking forward to talking with my German colleague 28-year-old Saša Stanišić about his new book on 3 March at 6.30 pm at the Goethe-Institut Sydney. "How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone" is his fascinating and compelling debut novel. Saša Stanišić was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1978. As a 14-year-old, he and his family were forced to flee from civil war to Southern Germany.In this strongly autobiographical work, Saša Stanišić describes his carefree childhood, the incomprehensibility of war, the family's escape and new beginning in Germany and his current search for the remains of his past. The novel is a dazzling kaleidoscope of human feelings, full of tragic and funny anecdotes, in which family and contemporary history, war and daily oddities join dramatically.
Saša Stanišić will read – in German and English - from his debut novel. In a subsequent discussion with me he will speak about the impact of war on a childhood, the inner world of memory and his incredible novel that touches the heart.
Saša Stanišić has been writing and publishing since 2001 . How the Soldier repairs the Gramophone was nominated for the German Book Prize 2008. In addition, Stanišic won the Adelbert von Chamisso Award of the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Bremen Literature Promotion Prize and the Kelag Audience Award at the Ingeborg Bachmann Competition.
Those interested in attanding should contact the Goethe-Institut Sydney on 61 2 83568320 or email michaela.buecheler@sydney.goethe.org
