© Nina Subin

Minneapolis, USA

51.

Samuel Fischer Guestprofessor
2024/25

Mark Haber

The Guestprofessor for winter term of 2024/25 is Mark Haber.

Mark develops his novels in historical contexts and sets them in fictional settings and stories. “Lesser Ruins”, his hird novel, was published recently in October 2024. Find out more about Mark, his Samuel Fischer Guestprofessorship Events and the teaching he did at Freie Universität:

Many of my novels take place in Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe, so I have a deep connection and love for these places in my geographic imagination!

Mark Haber

Mark Haber was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Florida. His debut novel “Reinhardt’s Garden” (2019) was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award. His second novel, “Saint Sebastian’s Abyss” (2022), was called a sparkling comic novel by the New York Times and named one of the best books of 2022 by the New York Public Library, Literary Hub and Publisher’s Weekly. Mark’s stories have appeared in Guernica, Southwest Review and Air/Light, among others. His third novel, “Lesser Ruins”, was published in October 2024.

More Info about Mark

Seminar “Imagination of Place”

As part of the Samuel Fischer Guestprofessorship, Mark Haber teached a seminar entitled The Imagination of Place. The seminar was dedicated to the question of how geography and space shape the imagination. In a literary history and theory course from Cervantes’ Don Quixote to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the seminar group reflected on how fictional places are constructed in acts of imagination – from reference to non-fictional spatial knowledge to the concrete choice of words. In creative writing exercises, students designed their own spatial imaginations and place them in relation to literary-historical spaces.
The course started on the 7th of Novmber, and took place thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in English.

Event Recap December 2 2024

Mark Haber & Ilona Hartmann at 21gramm Berlin

Under the motto ‘Procrastinator’s Paradise – The Art of Avoidance’, Mark Haber and Ilona Hartmann hosted an evening on the fine art of procrastination on 2 December 2024. And where better to reflect on procrastination than in the truly beautiful Café 21gramm – a former funeral parlour transformed into a space of quiet contemplation. 
The old pillars and warm lights immersed the audience in a literary warmth. In the ‘Procrastinator’s Paradise’, doing nothing and procrastinating is not a waste of time, but an art. During the talk, Mark read from his most recent novel ‘Lesser Ruins’; in individual passages – he gave an insight into his new book that simply flows like a powerful, endless stream of thought. Ilona and Mark also shared anecdotes about their own writing, which is constantly fuelled by procrastination.
Ilona Hartmann led the insightful conversation with her sharp-witted and humorous manner, and guided the audience through Mark’s restless novel. A brilliant evening filled with sharp observations, philosophical depth and a dose of self-irony, which proved in its very own way that literature can be anything – even funny and light-footed amongst the heavier topics such as grief, distraction, everyday life and restlessness.

Event Recap November 14 2024

Mark Haber & Ilona Hartmann at 21gramm Berlin

Mark Haber understands the library as a symbolic place in which the ideas, imaginations and knowledge of humanity come together. For his inaugural lecture at the Peter Szondi Institute for General and Comparative Literature at the Freie Universität Berlin, Mark explored his personal understanding of the library alongside the art and magic he sees behind it. Personal bookshelves reveal patterns and preferences, the way book lovers organise their books says something about them. The beauty of each shelf lies in the conversations between authors—referencing, challenging, and echoing one another across time. In just a few seconds, you can leap centuries. It’s a wonderful tribute to the magic of the small (or large) library within one’s own four walls.

Upcoming Events

Mark gave his inaugural lecture as Guestprofessor of the winter semester 24/25 at Freie Universität Berlin November 14.

Use the chance to join the official event open to the public on December 2.

Follow S.FischerProf on social media or sign up for our newsletter to receive further details in the upcoming weeks.

Books