The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of Berlin

This book provides an informative overview of literary developments in Berlin since 1750, with more detailed readings of exemplary key texts.

This book will appeal to anybody interested in the city of Berlin and the development of its literary culture. It provides both stimulating readings of canonical texts and insights into less familiar material, setting these in the cultural context of writing in and about Berlin since 1750.This collection of essays by international specialists in the literature of Berlin provides a lively and stimulating account of writing in and about the city in the modern period. The first eight chapters chart key chronological developments from 1750 to the present day, while subsequent chapters focus on Berlin drama and poetry in the twentieth century and explore a set of key identity questions: ethnicity/migration, gender (writing by women), and sexuality (queer writing). Each chapter provides an informative overview along with closer readings of exemplary texts. The volume is designed to be accessible for readers seeking an introduction to the literature of Berlin, while also providing new perspectives for those already familiar with the topic. With a particular focus on the turbulent twentieth century, the account of Berlin's literary production is set against broader cultural and political developments in one of the most fascinating of global cities.