52.
Samuel Fischer Guest Professorship
We look forward to welcoming Constance Debré, who is taking over the Samuel Fischer Guest Professorship this summer semester.
Literatures of the World
The Samuel Fischer Visiting Professorship for Literature was established on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Gerd Mattenklott at the beginning of the summer term 1998. It is funded by S. Fischer publishers, Freie Universität Berlin, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Holtzbrinck Berlin – Inspire Together. Each semester an author is invited to teach at the Peter Szondi Institute of Comparative Literature. In addition to a seminar at the Freie Universität Berlin public readings and events with the guest professors are organized in Berlin and other German cities.
News
Summer Semester 2025
Constance Debré
In the summer semester of 2025, Constance Debré will teach at the Freie Universität Berlin as Samuel Fischer Guest Professor. Constance Debré gained international attention through her radical break with her previous life as a lawyer in the Parisian bourgeoisie and her uncompromising exploration of identity, freedom and social norms. She achieved her literary breakthrough in 2018 with Play Boy, an astute and provocative reflection on her departure from social expectations, which also marks the beginning of her new stage of life.
Information about the course at the FU and the public events can be found here (soon).

Winter Semester 2024/25
Mark Haber

Guest of Honour 2024/25
Igiaba Scego

Winter Semester 2023/24
Powerpaola
As part of the opening lecture on November 22, Powerpaola will talk about her writing practice in Virus Tropical and Todas las bicicletas que tuve as well as discuss other book publications, including QP and Todo va a estar bien. These texts will serve as the basis for Powerpaola’s presentation and discussion of topics she will explore with students in her winter semester seminar “I’m not talking about me (but also)”: the intimate and complex connection between creative work and life, oneself and other people.
Here you can find more information about Powerpaola

Procrastinator’s Paradise
On December 2 Mark Haber, Guest Prof of winter term 2024/25, and Ilona Hartmann chatted about the Art of Avoidance and the true meaning of Procrastination.
© Phil Dera
Virus Tropical
Screening of “Virus Tropical”, the film produced by Powerpaola after her identical Graphic Novel at Acud Kino Berlin, December 7th 2023!
© Phil Dera
read-write-design-read-write-design
Nancy Campbell and Salvador Plascencia in conversation with Svenja Gräfen at the Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst
© Andreas Lamm
Notes On Love: A Conversation with Xiaolu Guo.
Xiaolu Guo 郭小櫓 in conversation with Divya Ghelani at daadgalerie Berlin
© Phil-Dera
Five Men And A Caravaggio – Screening & Talk
Xiaolu Guo 郭小櫓 in conversation with Giuliana Kiersz
© Phil-Dera