Trauma Game: Jewish Children at Summer Camp

In his new novel Tarantula, Eduardo Halfon takes us to Guatemala in the summer of 1984, where a group of Jewish children gather for camp – initially to learn about survival techniques and solidarity, until it transgressively transforms into something resembling a concentration camp; a sharp and disturbing metaphor for how trauma can become part of the “rules of the game” of identity.

At the same time, Halfon addresses how memory, collective heritage and personal history intertwine in the inner world of the individual: Do we remember accurately? What does it mean to carry such stories – and what happens when we try to forget, deny, or fight against them?

In conversation with Daniel Medin, Halfon will explore how literature can serve as a space for recognition – and for struggle – against the power of trauma, both as collective heritage and as something deeply private.

The conversation will be held in English.