Sophia Merwald in Munich: Sperrgut concludes the Queer Literature Festival
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Sophia Merwald concludes the Queer Literature Festival with Sperrgut
To conclude the Queer Literature Festival Munich, Sophia Merwald will read from her debut novel Sperrgut. The reading combines literary artistry with an acute exploration of queer community, tenderness, threat, and the political conditions of coexistence.
A poetic narrative about closeness and resistance
At the center of Sperrgut is the seemingly abandoned women's shelter named Lusthansa. There, Kristalloma, Maj, Stevie, Bruno, the father, and Linde find forms of queer family, friendship, and complicity. Merwald's characters navigate nuances of closeness for which there are yet no words.
Literary quality between poetry and social analysis
Sophia Merwald develops playful prose that frequently glides into a lyrical register. Behind the linguistic lightness emerge concrete political questions: unequal competition for housing, capitalist and bureaucratic hierarchies of relationships, and the search for resistant forms of life.
In this way, the novel is anchored in the current cultural discourse about queer spaces, social belonging, and alternative forms of coexistence. The reading promises a literary experience where voice, rhythm, and narrative complexity become immediately tangible.
An outstanding debut author in conversation
Sophia Merwald studied journalism and film and media culture research, works as a writer and freelance journalist, and conducts writing workshops. For Sperrgut, published in 2026 by park x ullstein, she was awarded, among others, the Alfred Döblin Prize and the Kranichstein Literature Promotion Prize. The evening will be moderated by Franziska Setare Koohestani.
Reading atmosphere in Hall X
The final reading takes place in Hall X of Gasteig HP8. The cultural center in the Munich district of Sendling provides the perfect setting for an intimate author encounter: focused listening, precise language, and an evening that understands literature as a communal experience.
Conclusion: Literature as lived community
Sophia Merwald's Sperrgut leads into a world where vulnerability, solidarity, and resistance are closely intertwined. Those looking to experience queer contemporary literature, poetic prose, and socially engaged narratives will find an impressive festival evening at this final reading. Literature enthusiasts should experience the author live at Gasteig HP8.
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