“Memory Is Always a Story”: An Interview with Antje Rávic Strubel

The novels of Antje Rávic Strubel, one of Germany's most prolific and acclaimed writers, explore ideas about post-Wende identity and agency, from the legacy of the Stasi to the social challenges posed by incestuous or homosexual relationships. Meanwhile, her two nonfiction “user manuals” to Sweden and Potsdam/Brandenburg offer affectionate yet critical insights into her ScandinavianSehnsuchtsland(land of longing), her place of birth, and her current residence. Strubel's many prizes and achievements include the Klagenfurt Ernst Willner Prize, received for her debut novelOffene Blendein 2001, and a recent long-listing for the German Book Prize for her latest novel,Sturz der Tage in die Nacht(2011).