Identity politics divides us, creates artificial groups in society and reinforces discrimination instead of combating it. Isn’t it the opposite of what social justice movements should be doing? Wouldn’t it be more effective to bring us together instead of highlighting our differences? Aren’t we all human? And most importantly, do we want to be put in boxes – aren’t we all more complex than these fixed identity dimensions?
In Germany, as elsewhere, there has been heated debate about issues surrounding ‘identity politics’. Many new publications in various genres illustrate the different viewpoints and positions, arguments and counterarguments.
Every year in October, the world comes to Frankfurt. People from across the globe gather together here because they have one thing in common: their love of culture and of words, whether in written, printed or (increasingly) electronic form.
The German comics scene doesn’t have a particularly big share of the domestic book market, but it’s evolving and making its mark – with some interesting thematic trends.
Some people see poetry as somehow inferior to ‘larger-scale’ literary formats like the novel or the short story. But this belief is unfounded. On the contrary, the German poetry scene is diverse, vibrant and popular.