The end of book poetry? Digital formats and new dependencies
November 15, 2023, 19.30
Literaturhaus Hamburg, Schwanenwik 38, 22087 Hamburg
The book market has always been subject to tension between economic interests and artistic autonomy. Poetry is often seen as an example of a certain “imbalance” because very few poetry volumes generate economic profit. The economically precarious situation of many poets is being further exacerbated by digitalization, which is exposing the book market to considerable changes. Are scholarships, prizes, and city writing societies the only way to finance poetry? What do these structures mean for both poets and publishers, and what kind of dependencies accompany them? On the other hand, the question also arises of whether digitalization is leading to new multimedia publishing formats and practices. At the same time, the internet is making it easy to set up online shops and thus to practice self-publishing. But how do we address the challenge posed by the fact that many poets still need a “book” to be recognized as poets by federal institutions?
With
Daniela Seel (Poet and publisher; Berlin)
Lütfiye Güzel (Poet; Duisburg & Berlin)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Claudia Benthien (Literary scholar and PI PoetryDA)
Tickets for the event can be bought at the Literaturhaus.