Artists & Authors

Nora Gomringer (G) (born 1980 in Neunkirchen, Saarland), poet, reciter and performance artist. Publications: Gedichte (2000), Silbentrennung (2002), Sag doch mal was zur Nacht mit CD (2006) und Klimaforschung (2008). In 2007 she received the Bavarian Culture Prize, and in 2008 the Nikolaus Lenau Prize. In 2009 she received a scholarship from the Literature Colloquium Berlin. She is also the winner of numerous poetry slams.

Heinrich Finn-Ole (G), born 1982 in Henstedt-Ulzburg (Schleswig-Holstein), author, film-maker and poetry slammer. As early as during his study of Film Direction in Hannover he published his first volume of short stories (Die Taschen voll Wasser, 2005: Mairisch Publishers), and further short stories, radio dramas, and a novel followed. Heinrich Finn-Ole has been awarded numerous prizes and bursaries in the fields of both literature and film.

Barbara Köhler (G) (born 1959 in Burgstädt), poet. Between 1985 and 1988 she studied literature at the Johannes R Becher Literature Institute in Leipzig. After German re-unification she worked for numerous newspapers. In 1991 she published her first volume of poetry, Deutsches Roulette. Since 1996 she has also worked on “text installations”. She has been awarded many prizes for her poetic work. Publications: In Front der See (poetry, 1995), Wittgensteins Nichte. Vermischte Schriften, Mixed Media (1999), with Osmar Osten: Ungarisches Wasser (2000) and Niemands Frau. Gesänge zur Odyssee (2007).

As Masterplanet (Switzerland), the author, musician and text performer Melinda Nadj Abonji (born 1968 in Vojvodina, Serbia) and the rap poet and human beatboxer Jurczok 1001 (born 1974 in Switzerland) have worked since 1998 on developing an independent language of the stage, consisting of short stories, spoken word texts, electronic violins, human beatboxes and loops.

Thomas Meinecke (G) (born 1955 in Hamburg), writer, has been renowned since the mid '90s as a post-modern author employing a writing technique similar to the musical experimental field of sampling. He has produced literary and essayistic contributions on the cultural history of the last century, particularly with reference to pop culture, pop music and gender studies. Numerous literary accolades; publications include Tomboy (1998), Hellblau (2001), Musik (2004) and Jungfrau (2008).