January 12th, 4 pm, Johanneskirche Frohnau, Zeltinger Platz 18, 13465 Berlin
Starting the new year with a new reading concert (a reading with music) of one of my very favorite books: ÉMILE IN BERLIN – MOUSE HUNT IN THE BIG STORE!
Berlin, in the winter of 1904: Émile and his mother Alice visit the newly opened Wertheim department store on Leipziger Platz in Berlin. But in the zoo department, the mishap happens: a little mouse escapes from a terrarium through Émile’s fault! Marie, the young sales clerk, fears she will be fired if it comes out that it happened during her watch. Émile and Marie try to catch the little runaway by chasing it through the vast and beautiful store – but how are the chances to catch a little rodent in a department store the size of an entire block?
In the reading, accompanied by live music by Jörg Walter, we draw you into the speedy and exciting history of department stores around 1900. While magnificent illustrations run before your eyes,I read the text live, and Jörg plays specially composed motifs for the mouse, Marie, Émile and the Wertheim department store itself. In a workshop report following the reading, I talk about how historical material like this can be transferred into a story and give an outline of the history of department stores and the Wertheim store in particular, specifically addressing the culture abnd history of Jewish department stores. A limited amount of copies is available and can be signed at the event.
An atmospheric start to the year for young and old! Entry is free!
(The event will be in German)
