” Berlin is a city forever in the process of becoming, never being, & so it lives more powerfully in the imagination.” Rory Maclean, ` Berlin
- Imagine a City`. Located at the epicentre of some of modern Europe`s most significant & turbulent events, Berlin has long held a magnetic attraction for writers. From 19th century authors recording the city`s dramatic transition from Prussian Hauptstadt to German capital after 1871 & the modernist intellectuals of the Weimar period, to the resistance writers brave enough to write during the dark years of the Nazi era & those who captured life on both sides of the divided city, a body of literature has emerged that reveals Berlin`s ever-shifting identity. Since 1989, Berlin has yet again become a crucible of creativity, serving as both muse & sanctuary for a new generation of writers who regularly claim it as one of the most exciting cities in the world. This unique & engaging book functions as an introduction to some of the finest writing in & about the city, as well as a guide to some of its best sights & vibrant neighbourhoods. Spanning more than 200 years of local life & literature, it features German authors as diverse as E.T.A. Hoffmann, Joseph Roth, Jorg Fauser, & Christa Wolf, as well as a slew of famous international names such as Mark Twain, Philip Hensher & Chloe Aridjis.