Writer Raoul Schrott traces the spirit of the times in his own unique way. He observes cultural change with both a poetic and a philosophical eye.
Monday, 23. March 2026, 19:00 – 20:00 h
At Literaturhaus Zurich, Limmatquai 62, 8001 Zürich
What is the spirit of the times? How did it come about? How does it spread and shape societies? How do we give in to it or resist it? And what impact does it have on literature? A book that only Raoul Schrott could write: half essay, half poetry collection. Thus, he presents a surprising and insightful analysis of our present. As a counterpoint, he portrays us in his poems as individual persons: whether young or old, in apocalyptic moods and promises of happiness, in the certainties of each individual as well as in their disorientation in the face of times that have become disparate.
Raoul Schrott, born in 1964, has received numerous awards, including the Peter Huchel Prize and the Joseph Breitbach Prize. His most recent books published by Hanser include “Homers Heimat” (2008) and his translation of the “Iliad” (2008), “Gehirn und Gedicht” (2011, together with brain researcher Arthur Jacobs), the story “Das schweigende Kind” (2012), the translation of Hesiod's “Theogony” (2014), the poetry collection “Die Kunst an nichts zu glauben” (2015) and “Erste Erde” (epos, 2016), “Politiken & Ideen” (Essays, 2018), “Eine Geschichte des Windes oder Von dem deutschen Kanonier der erstmals die Welt umrundete und dann ein zweites und ein drittes Mal” (novel, 2019), "Inventur des Sommers" (Inventory of Summer, 2023) and the unique book project "Atlas der Sternenhimmel und Schöpfungsmythen der Menschheit" (Atlas of the Starry Sky and Creation Myths of Humanity, 2024) and most recently "Zeitgeist. Ein Plädoyer für Menschlichkeit" (Zeitgeist: A Plea for Humanity, 2026). In 2023, he held the Ernst Jandl Lectureship at the University of Vienna.
Photo: © Barbara Seyr