Reading and discussion with Thea Mengeler "Nach den Fähren" moderated by Marlen Kriemann, cultural scientist
"Nach den Fähren" was published by Wallstein Verlag in 2024.
"Maybe tomorrow, says the harbor keeper. Maybe the ferries will come back tomorrow. "On a formerly popular vacation island, the ferries suddenly stop and with them the holidaymakers. Life comes to a standstill, most of the inhabitants leave the island, only a few hold out. Hoping for the ferries to return and isolated from one another, they carry on with the same old activities. The lives of those who remain only change when a girl called Ada inexplicably appears at the summer palace and seeks to get close to the former janitor. Her questions about his past and that of the island lead to an upheaval that cannot be stopped, even when Ada disappears as suddenly as she appeared. The stories of the characters become more and more intertwined as they begin to come to terms with their past - and with the question of whether a return of the ferries is desirable at all.Thea Mengeler's novel tells of private and social power relations, of (over)tourism and of the processes of reclaiming one's own life, one's own living space. In her concise but sensitive and precise language, she describes the events on the island and the inner lives of her characters, whose life decisions are put to the test.
Thea Mengeler was born in 1988, grew up in Krefeld and studied literary writing and communication design in Hildesheim, Kiel and Istanbul. She was a finalist at the 28th open mike and Styria Artist in Residence 2022. She currently lives as a freelance author and copywriter in Hanover. She published her debut "connect" in 2022. "Vor den Fähren" is on the shortlist for the Evangelischer Buchpreis 2025.
