When will the reading with Julia Franck take place?

The reading will take place on Thursday, January 14, 2027, at 8:00 PM.

Where will the event be held?

The venue is the Central Library at Stadtfenster, Steinsche Gasse 26, 47051 Duisburg.

Which book is Julia Franck presenting?

Julia Franck is presenting I drown in the waters of my own love – Rilke's last lover.

What is the book about?

The focus is on the painter Baladine Klossowska, her passionate relationship with Rainer Maria Rilke, and the longing letters exchanged between them.

How much do the tickets cost?

Tickets are available according to the event offer starting from 8 Euros.

Is the event taking place indoors?

Yes, the reading will take place in the interior of the Central Library Duisburg.

Julia Franck discovers Rilke's last lover in a moving reading full of letters

Name: Julia Franck reads: I drown in the waters of my own love
Start: 2027-01-14T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-01-14T22:00:00+01:00
Location: Zentralbibliothek

Julia Franck in Duisburg: A love in letters, between closeness and distance

On January 14, 2027, the Central Library Duisburg invites you to a special reading with Julia Franck. The focus is on her book I drown in the waters of my own love – Rilke's last lover, a literary portrait of the painter Baladine Klossowska and her extraordinary connection to Rainer Maria Rilke.

A great lover steps out of the shadows

In 1920, Baladine Klossowska meets the poet Rainer Maria Rilke again. This encounter develops into a passionate, tender, and simultaneously tension-filled relationship. Klossowska seeks closeness and community, while Rilke needs distance and peace to write. Their connection finds its own literary form in longing letters.

Julia Franck looks at a woman whose story has long been told primarily through her relationship with Rilke. From letters, biographical traces, and poetic condensation, the image emerges of an independent artist and a personality whose voice is to be rediscovered.

Julia Franck's linguistic art and literary research

Julia Franck is one of the prominent voices in contemporary German literature. Her novels and stories combine psychological accuracy with sensuous linguistic art, precise observation, and an intensive engagement with memory, family, and history.

For her novel The Noon Woman, Franck received the German Book Prize in 2007. Other important works include Campfire, Back to Back, and Worlds Apart. Her work has been widely awarded and translated into numerous languages.

Reading atmosphere at the Central Library Duisburg

The Central Library provides the perfect setting for this author encounter. In the concentrated atmosphere of the house, the book presentation becomes a literary experience: Visitors follow a story about love, art, self-assertion, and the fragile balance between closeness and distance.

The reading is aimed at literature enthusiasts as well as those interested in Rainer Maria Rilke, art history, biographies, and the connection between literature and visual art. Franck's linguistically sensitive prose brings historical documents to life in a contemporary, compelling voice.

Conclusion: Experience literature live

Julia Franck's reading in Duisburg promises an evening full of linguistic art, historical depth, and quiet emotional intensity. Those who want to get to know Baladine Klossowska beyond her role as Rilke's lover and experience Julia Franck's new book directly in the author's voice will find a special literary occasion at the Central Library.