The Thomas Mann House Los Angeles organizes a conversation between authors Julia Franck, Thomas Mann Fellow 2024, and Arnon Grunberg, moderated by the well-known Los Angeles poet Lynne Thompson. The award-winning authors discuss issues of cultural appropriation and identity in contemporary fiction and the complexities that come with writing characters and stories outside of one's own cultural and identity background.

How can authors face the challenges of portraying experiences and cultures they have not personally lived, and the importance of avoiding stereotypical portrayals of their fictional characters? Do writers and their works bear responsibility for social conditions? To what extent do literature and literary writers negotiate moral convictions in their characters and stories? Does a writer have to act as a judge of good and evil and right and wrong through the choice of their character’s perspectives? The evening will provide valuable insights into how writers can navigate the delicate balance of respecting and honoring the identities of others while enriching their narratives with diverse perspectives.

Attendance: by invitation only.