Flipping pages of female fortitude

CHENNAI: There is always something enchanting about the scent of old books...turning those dog-eared and worn pages, which are still filled with stories to tell. There is something even more empowering in flipping through pages of such stories which have strong and resilient women characters.

One of the prime motives of the library at the Goethe-Institut is to promote reading, create awareness and sensitise readers about German and Indian literature. Kaffee-Klatsch is a monthly event for all book lovers to meet, network, read and discuss books.

“Kaffee-Klatsch is the format we conceptualised for 2024, wherein we follow a specific theme for each month. January was the ‘Month of Remembrance’ and we discussed Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. February was the ‘Month of Linguaphiles and Aesthetes’ and we discussed Michael Ende’s The Never-ending Story,” explains Dr Subhasri Vijayakumar, head of information and library, at Goethe-Institut.

Commemorating International Women’s Day this March, Kaffee-Klatsch aims to celebrate women characters from books.

“Much as we know about women authors, women characters in a story take a secondary importance unless they are the protagonists of the story, which in itself, is also a rare phenomenon. So, we wanted to discuss openly with our readers about these ‘sheroes’ or authors whom they have liked,” Dr Subhasri adds.

Susanna Magesh, a participant for Kaffee-Klatsch is eager to share the powerful story of Maria Moosbrugger, a character from Die Bagage by Monika Helfer.

“This book delves into the family history of the author, focusing particularly on her grandmother, Maria Moosbrugger. Set in an Austrian village, the narrative follows Maria as she navigates life with her husband and four children amidst the backdrop of the First World War,” Susanna says.

Through Maria’s story, Die Bagage highlights the often overlooked experiences of women during wartime, exploring themes of resilience, betrayal and the enduring impact of familial rejection.

“I choose Maria Moosbrugger because she offers a unique perspective on the World War I that is often overlooked. While discussions of wartime typically focus on soldiers and casualties, her story sheds light on the experiences of women left behind to shoulder the burden of family and survival,” elucidates Susanna.

24-year-old Maijuran Rajeswaran’s parents fled from the civil war in Sri Lanka a few decades ago, and settled in Germany. Born and raised in Dortmund, Maijuran is interning at Goethe-Institut. Conceiving the idea of Kaffee-Klatsch, he sees the experience to be more of a learning environment, where literature becomes the occasion to talk, exchange experiences and perspectives to reflect.

“Literature can be a space to re-write stories, norms and ideas. There are books stereotyping women that have a narrow view on the question of gender. Hence, it becomes even more important to talk about women characters in literature, that may be empowering, vulnerable and inspiring. We need to talk about these, in order to start conversations that can initiate progressive thoughts,” he states.

Kaffee-Klatsch is open to all and will take place on March 20, between 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm at the library of Goethe-Institut in Nungambakkam.