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Peace Prize laureate Navid Kermani rarely talks about current political events. And as the keynote speaker at the Hamburg Harbor Front Literature Festival, he had chosen a rather harmless theme: “Literature and Music – An Eternal Love.” But, as the “Zeit” now reports, he surprisingly strayed from his topic and addressed the country’s latest literary scandal in front of audiences at the Hamburg Elbe Philharmonic. It is related to the name of the literature festival, and also to the Austrian cabaret writer and artist Lisa Eckhart.
Eckhart, who often resorts to role-playing prose in her cabaret appearances, has been repeatedly accused of reproducing anti-Semitic or racist clichés in this way, or that she is either anti-Semitic or racist or both. Possibly just a theoretical discussion between text experts, but when Eckhart was supposed to read her debut novel “Omama” at the festival’s young talent show in St. Pauli, the matter became more concrete. Two other authors, who were also invited, refused to perform with her, but remained undercover. Their names are not known. In return, it was publicly said that there had been warnings from the neighborhood: If Eckhart appeared, violent attacks by left-wing militants could occur. Finally, the festival invited Eckhart.
In her speech, Kermani addressed the two authors who protested against reading with Eckhart: “Your refusal to be on stage with Frau Eckhart does not apply to this or that statement, it does not apply to the cabaret artist, she is it applies to the person you declare despicable. ” According to Kermani, it shows “enormous morality and discourtesy to allow a colleague who is displeased to be expelled anonymously.” The two would have made Eckhart a non-person.
“Ban each other”
Wherever freedom of speech is restricted, says Kermani, writers have the most to lose: “It amazes me all the more when we writers start to ban each other.” Those who see themselves as enemies risk situations like civil war.
In this way, the recipient of the Peace Prize also entered the debate on the so-called Cancel Culture, the technique of cultural struggle found mainly in the intellectual life of the USA, to push or exclude authors from the public. unpopular or at least controversial.
There have recently been discussions of this kind in Germany, among other things, about the memoirs of Woody Allen, against whose publication by Rowohlt several authors of the publishing house protested. And in the Lisa Eckhart debate, the term “Cancel Culture” was mentioned over and over again; However, the uproar over her person didn’t necessarily turn to her disadvantage: her novel “Omama” is number 15 on SPIEGEL’s bestseller list next weekend.
