Novels: Distortions of History and the Present

In his writing, Swiss author Christian Kracht explores how civilizations are built up – and broken down. He turns his gaze to everything from the chaos of revolution and the clash between Western values and totalitarian ideologies to alternative historical realities where power, war and ideology take unexpected forms. In several of his books he allows real people and events to merge with literary fantasy, exploring colonialism, eccentric utopias and the destructive forces hidden within ideals. In this way, he uses history – and its deviations – to explore humanity’s urge to create meaning, systems and myths.

Kracht meets Wolfgang Hottner, professor of literary studies at the University of Bergen, for a conversation about how he works with distortions of history and the present, about the attraction of northern landscapes, and about why kitsch has become a key word in his aesthetic universe.

The conversation will be held in German and simultaneously translated into Norwegian.