On the 16th March 2011, the British author Celia Rees presented her new historical novel “The Fool’s Girl” to secondary school students (classes s1ena and s2ena).

Celia Rees, born 1949 in Solihull, Britain, first studied History and Politics at Warwick University and then worked as an English teacher for 17 years. To the German audience she is known for her bestsellers “Pirates” (2003) and “Sovay” (2009). She lives with her family in England.

In “The Fool’s Girl” Celia Rees takes the readers into the era of Elizabethan London and brings one of the most important figures of world literature, William Shakespeare, to life. In the novel she recounts the story of her favourite play “Twelfth Night, or As You Like It”.

When William Shakespeare meets Violetta and her fool Feste for the first time, he is fascinated. They come from the far away land of Illyria, from which they had been banished after the Venetian conquest. Immediately he realises the dramatic potential of their dangerous story and becomes further entangled in it.

The bestselling author combines historical figures and facts with fictional characters and events. In this way she creates an evocative and romantic story about a young girl who – full of courage and against all the odds – fights for her rights and her freedom to love.

In the multimedia age of Internet, video games, i-phones and television, books play a significant role. They allow the reader to immerse themselves in other worlds and evoke pictures and feelings which are not “fed” from the outside or simply passively consumed, but which emerge as a kind of “mental cinema” from within.

“It’s like having a nice dream” that is how many students felt after having read the novel, not least due to the author’s refreshing approach that made the young reader curious about the “ancient” yet timeless stories of bygone days that can be found in the works of Shakespeare.

To meet the author personally and have a discussion with her was an enriching experience for the young audience as they were able to relate to the book’s content while gaining enlightening insights into the process of producing a novel, ranging from the initial idea, to research, to the writing process, to the negotiations with the publishing house and finally to the finished book.

Website of Celia Rees: click here!

The author Wolfgang Korn, who writes books for young people as well as non-fiction books, paid a visit to the ESM on the 1st March 2011. He read from his novel “Und morgen ein Star – Eine kleine Geschichte über die große Medienwelt“ (“And Tomorrow I’ll be a Star: A Short Story about the Big Media World”) to an audience, consisting of secondary school students of years 2 – 4.

Wolfgang Korn, born in 1958 in Germany’s Ruhr region, is a science journalist in the first place and writes for “GEO” magazine and “Die Zeit” newspaper. Moreover, he composed archaeological non-fiction books for young readers, which deal with current social issues.

Even if they are slightly too instructive, they are still very informative. He skillfully combines factual information with a compelling story and provides additional information in check boxes that contain the necessary background info. This concept works out!

His book “Das Rätsel der Venusschlacht” (“The Enigma of the Venus’ Battle”) was awarded the German Youth Literature Prize and “Die Weltreise einer Fleeceweste” (“The world trip of a Feece Cardigan” was awarded the prize of the science book of the year in Austria).

“And Tomorrow I’ll be a Star” was released in 2010. It reveals the harsh reality in the media business and the intrigues behind the scenes that are particularly predominant in casting shows. In Korn’s book, “MeiStar” is the name of a talent show – the allusion to currently broadcasted casting shows is evident.

Thus, the 70 students knew very well what he was talking about as they are all very familiar with these television formats. Korn read four passages from his work to the students and encouraged them to think about and reflect upon their own habits regarding the use of and approach to media.

Naturally, the students were given the opportunity to raise questions after the reading. They mainly wanted to know how to become an author. Who knows, maybe this reading has inspired one or two students to try their luck and become authors themselves.

Certainly everyone gained insights and inspiration from Wolfgang Korn's visit. It is always a very special moment when the author himself gives a reading of his novels as its message is conveyed in a much more direct and lively manner. Next stop on the writer’s tour will be the European School Frankfurt.

On 3rd December 2009, the well-known children's and youth book writer Klaus Kordon read from his novel "On the Sunny Side" to an audience consisting of about 240 secondary school pupils and their teachers.

Klaus Kordon was born in 1943 in North-East Berlin. His father died in the war and his mother in 1956. As a consequence, Klaus Kordon was first sent to an orphanage and then to a young people’s home. After graduating from school he studied economics. Once he had became a merchant, he embarked on numerous trips to foreign countries (e.g. Indonesia, North Africa, Australia etc.). It was at this time that he began writing.

In 1972, he was arrested while attempting to flee from East Germany. He was put into a STASI (State Security Unit of the GDR) prison until he was ransomed by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1973. Klaus Kordon has been working as a freelance writer since 1980. His numerous books have been translated into many languages and have received major national and international awards.

"On the Sunny Side" is the continuation of the autobiographical novel "Crocodile in the Neck", which had been awarded the German Youth Book Prize. "On the Sunny Side" describes the new life of the Lenz family, who had finally been reunited in West Germany during the seventies. The family had to survive many hardships: an unsuccessful escape from East Germany, Manfred Lenz’s and his wife Hannah’s sentences in a STASI prison as well as the orphanage upbringing of their children.

After arriving in the West Germany, the land of freedom and prosperity, the family faces the question whether their life is really “on the sunny side”? Disillusioned, the family has to realise that all is not gold in the West and that there are also inevitable downsides. Thus, Manfred and his wife find it hard to make new friends and find work.

The book also describes Manfred’s travels as an export merchant, the beginning of his career as a writer and his view of German history from the '68 revolution to the reunification of Germany in 1989. The book ends with the emotionally moving scene in which Manfred Lenz directs a camera crew, shooting a documentary, to his former prison cell in the early 90s.

As a skilful expert in German history, Klaus Kordon captured the audience’s imagination with his exciting narrative. Especially the autobiographical background of the story, which was also reflected in the feeling and thoughts of the protagonist Manfred, the reading obtained an authentic and lively character. For both the German language courses and the one history class this reading was highly beneficial.

The author, being a contemporary witness, constantly referred to the larger historical scheme and to the era of the founding of the GDR, encompassing the construction of the Wall as well as the reunification.

By describing personal experiences and given in-depth insights into the inner world of the characters, the best-selling author gave a detailed and vivid picture of the different concepts of life and at the same time revealed the dividing and unifying aspects between the East and the West.

Klaus Kordon's website: please click here!

On 19th October 2009, the writer Holly-Jane Rahlens held two readings from her book "Wallflower" at the ESM. These readings were part of the event "Europe 20 Years after the Fall of the Wall". Mrs Rahlens’ first reading was held in German, the second in English. These two readings were attended by primary and secondary school pupils of year 4 -6.

Holly-Jane Rahlens was born in 1950 in Queens, New York. She has been living in Berlin since 1972, where she has worked at the RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION, a bi-national organisation for the promotion of German-American understanding in the field of broadcasting, as well as an actress, a radio playwright, a radio presenter, and later on television. She has also worked as a dialogue coach and as author and translator for various films and written editorials for the Journal “FilmFest” of the Berlinale Festival. Her third novel, "Prince William, Maximilian Minsky, and Me" published in 2003, received the prestigious “Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis” as the best young adult novel published in Germany. "Wallflower" is her sixth novel.

Contents of “Wallflower":
"The wall’s down and I m stuck". This is what Molly, the main character, thinks at the beginning of the novel. "I’ve always been stuck in a crack. And I can’t get out". At the end of the book Molly completely changes her view of the world. She no longer feels like a "wallflower". Molly lives in Berlin with her father, who is a chemist. However, in a few days, they plan to return to New York. It is November 1989, shortly after the Wall has fallen, and before she leaves, she wants to settle a matter in East Berlin on behalf of her deceased mother. Her mother had to flee Berlin in 1938 and later in her life died of cancer. Molly now wants to return to her mother’s birth house and retrieve a piece of wall from between the two plots of land in order to place it on her mother’s grave, which is in line with a Jewish tradition in America.

On her metro and underground ride to East Berlin, Molly meets an East German drama student named Mick. A love story between the two unfolds. In Mick's presence, Molly’s world of emotions changes: she gives vent to her feelings and even tells Mick about the death of her mother. The inner wall that Molly has built inside herself begins to crumble...

Holly-Jane Rahlens fascinated her audiences with her captivating narrative that revealed her second talent; that of an actress. Through this love story between East and West, she not only broadened the young audience’s imagination, but also raised awareness of the time period after the Fall of the Wall. In addition, she also gave interesting, sometimes ironic, and entertaining insights. For the first time in her career as an author, Mrs Rahlens gave a reading in English, her own mother tongue. Altogether about 220 students attended the two readings.

Holly-Jane Rahlens' website: please click here!

On 11th March 2009 the Holocaust survivor and Jewish author Max Mannheimer delivered a speech at the ESM. Pupils of years 3-6 from the Secondary School attended this event. Mr Studer, the Deputy Head of the Secondary School, held the opening speech.

Max Mannheimer was born in 1920 in Neutitschein (today's Czech Republic). In 1943, he was first deported to the concentration camp Theresienstadt, then to the one in Auschwitz-Birkenau and finally brought via Warsaw to the Dachau concentration camp.

In 1945, his ordeal came to an end when he was liberated by the Americans in Seeshaupt (Upper Bavaria). Mr Mannheimer lost nearly his entire family during the Holocaust; only he and one of his brothers survived the atrocities of the Nazi regime. After the war, he left Germany and vowed that he would never return to this country. When he fell in love with a German lady, whom he later married, however, he moved back to Germany in 1946.

Today, Mr Mannheimer talks in public about his experiences in the concentration camps and often gives speeches in schools. "I visit the school as a witness of that time, not as a judge or prosecutor”, he emphasises when asked what the most important thing is to him when he appears in public.

At the beginning of the event at the ESM, Mr Mannheimer talked about his life. He elaborated on the historical context, e.g. Hitler's seizure of power or the “Reichskristallnacht”. Mr Mannheimer also explained to which chicaneries Jewish people were henceforth exposed to. To illustrate this, he showed the audience the yellow star of David, which Jewish people were obliged to wear visibly on their clothes.

He then read excerpts from his book "Spätes Tagebuch" in which he reports about his experiences in the concentration camps. It was particularly impressive and equally uncomfortable for the audience when Mr Mannheimer exposed the prisoner’s number, which had been tattooed on his forearm.

In the second part of the event, pupils had the opportunity to address questions to Mr Mannheimer. Current issues such as Holocaust deniers or the phenomenon of right wing parties were also raised in the discussion. He answered each of the pupils’ question by either telling a striking anecdote or giving a very graphic description. Spontaneously, he even addressed individual students in each of their Slavic mother tongue.

Pupils and teachers alike, felt very privileged and emotionally moved to personally meet one of the last surviving witnesses of the Nazis regime. With his presence of mind and his sense of humour the 89-year-old captured the attention of the young audience in an extraordinarily captivating manner.

As part of the exhibition “Carrousel de la fantaisie: 50 years of children’s illustrated literature from francophone Belgium”, which took place in the International Youth Library in “Schloss Blutenburg”, the Walloon author and illustrator Kitty Crowther held a reading on 9th April 2008 at the ESM. Years s1fra, s2fra and s3fra of the secondary school participated in the reading, which was held in French.

At first, she presented the book “La Visite de Petite Mort“, where death is portrayed as having human emotions and thoughts. In this way, death becomes more approachable and is less threatening. The author then talked about her life and her writing.

Kitty Crowther was born in 1970 in Brussels, a daughter of a Swedish mother and an English father. Since 1994 she has been writing for children. The author has received many awards for her books.

Commenting on her work, she said: “I am not trying to write books that are pleasing, but to invent stories, which deeply interest me. Moreover, I don’t have the impression that I’m deciding the storyline; it is the stories that choose me”. (Quote taken from the press release of the International Children’s and Youth Library).

In the second part of the reading, the pupils as well as the author drew skeletons. Towards the end of the reading, the author also drew an owl.

She then signed some of the pupils’ drawings and gave autographs. The original drawings by Kitty Crowther are now on display in the secondary school library.

Polly Horvath, an American-born writer now living in Canada, delighted young readers on 29th February when she presented excerpts from some of her books to some classes of the secondary school and primary school (English section). The pupils had looked forward to her visit and were well prepared with questions.

She enjoys writing a “story within a story” and her novels gave the audience a charming and humorous insight into life on Vancouver Island as seen through the eyes of such characters as Aunt Sally in “The Trolls” as well as Penpen and Tilly in “The Canning Season”.

When asked about looking for ideas for a story, she said that stories often seem to search her out. While working on another title, an image of an old yellow car came to mind. Later, while out with her family, she saw identical car for sale, which made such an impression on her, that she abandoned her original manuscript and wrote her novel “The Happy Yellow Car.”

Polly’s favourite book is always the one she is currently writing. Previously published novels fade into insignificance as the excitement of a new work takes over and her energy is channelled into a new project.

Polly Horvath's books have won numerous awards which include the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honour and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year.

For more information: click here!

“Have you ever kissed someone“? asked Antonia. Maren nodded. “Really”? Antonia was surprised. “Who was that”? “My Father”, answered Maren. Antonia rolled her eyes. “I don’t mean that. I mean have you ever kissed a boy”? Maren giggled. “Have you or haven’t you”?

The author Manfred Mai read this passage from “Leonie is in love” and a few more from his other books “The Zornickel”, “Winter Years”, “A Class in Football Fever”, etc. on the 28th February 2008. The reading was attended by pupils of the primary and secondary school. During the reading for the secondary school Manfred Mai spontaneously decided to do a little improvisation.

By reading from two different books whose stories are interwoven, the author skilfully combined the two stories in such a way that the dynamics of both stories were amplified and the inner feelings of the characters were vividly illustrated.

Mai smoothly changed from the protagonist and football lover in ”A Class in Football Fever”, who is reading the book “Leonie is in Love” as homework, to the very passage in “Leonie is in love”. Then he returned again to the football fan who, after having read this passage, becomes aware that there are also other important things in life apart from football.

The secondary school German class s1deb conducted an interview with the author who patiently answered all the questions. In addition, the younger pupils from the primary school were also very inquisitive. The first year German section of the primary school wanted to know how a book comes into being, how pictures become printed in books, how the author manages to “write” in such big letters and why the cover is so “thick”!

They learned that an author only writes the stories and that books are produced in the “factory” of a printer’s workshop. Even if most children’s books have printed pictures, the author himself prefers the imaginary ones, which arise in one’s mind while reading. Mai displayed great sensitivity in approaching young readers and a refined ability to capture their imagination.

Information on his biography, reading samples, press cuttings, reviews and book lists are to be found at: click here!

On the 26th February 2008, Bjørn Clasen, a representative of the European Union Publications Office, held presentations on the website “EU Bookshops” at the ESM. This is an online access to official EU publications – books, leaflets, electronic documents and CD-ROM published by the EU institutions, agencies and other bodies. The service is managed by the publication office.

EU Bookshop allows users to search for EU publications, order them and download copies. Most of the 25,000 publications, translated into many languages, are free of charge. However, priced publications can often be downloaded as PDF files free of charge.

Several features make it easy to find exactly what one is looking for. Each week “Publisher’s Choice” highlights different EU publications. “Help” and “FAQ” pages as well as the navigation in 22 languages help browsing the EU Bookshop website.

A personal profile can be created in “My EU Bookshop”. As a registered user, features can be used which make it easier to find and re-find publications that are of personal interest. In addition, one can subscribe to news alerts and be notified by email regularly.

The “Just published” section lists new titles with up to date information on the European Union. In addition, this service offers an online catalogue and archive of all EU publications.

The online EU Bookshop catalogue contains publications issued in the past three years. Earlier publications can be found in the archive.

EU Bookshop website: click here!