Harburger Theater

Ralph CaspersBook PresentationFor families and children aged 4 to 8 yearsRalph Caspers' "Lumpi" series tells the story of a little dachshund for whom the world is full of mysteries. A shadow becomes a phantom, a bone a precious treasure, a cookie a grand Christmas mission. With a lot of wit, pace, and a keen eye for childlike logic, Caspers turns everyday situations into little adventures.At the Harbour Front Literature Festival, Ralph Caspers will read from the "Lumpi" series and take the young audience into the peculiar world of his little dachshund. The focus will be on the new adventure, in which Lumpi is actually on his way to vacation. But during a short stop at a rest area, he smells cats – and he simply has to look for them. After all, he's a hunting dog. Soon he realizes he's on the trail of something bigger and that the cats need help. Finally, Lumpi can show what he's really made of!Ralph Caspers, born in 1972, is a presenter, author, and screenwriter. He became particularly known for "Sendung mit der Maus" (The Show with the Mouse) and "Wissen macht Ah!" (Knowledge Makes Wow!). For his work and commitment, he has received numerous prizes and awards, including the Prix Jeunesse International, the Grimme Award, and the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Ewald ArenzReading and TalkThe rhythm of life cannot be turned back. But perhaps it can be started anew. Anton is sixty and a tap dancer. Not as fast as he used to be, but with his experience and expressiveness, he still dances circles around everyone else. When a new artistic director starts at his theater, Anton fully expects to be appointed choreographer. But she decides differently. She hires Emma – his daughter, of all people.For Anton, this is a humiliation that runs deeper than any other professional defeat. He is hurt, angry, ashamed; at the same time, he is proud of his daughter. The rejection stirs something in him that he has long kept at bay: the feeling of aging, of finitude, the question of whether the life he has led was truly the right one.And suddenly, Jo is back. The great love of his past, who disappeared without a trace one day. What would have happened if Anton had followed her? Could he have led a different, better life? Ewald Arenz's "Five, Six, Seven, Eight" is a novel about fathers and daughters, about missed opportunities, about the art of carrying on – and about the challenge of not writing yourself off too soon. Because it's not over until it's over. Until then, life wants to be lived.Ewald Arenz, born in Nuremberg in 1965, works as a teacher at a grammar school in Nuremberg. His novels and plays have received numerous awards. With "Alte Sorten" and "Der große Sommer," he reached a large audience; most recently, "Zwei Leben" and "Katzentage" were published.