Beatrix Gerstberger – from ‘Lobster Women’ to ‘Lobster Years’

The harsh daily lives of the lobster fisherwomen form the backdrop to the inspiring novel *Hummerfrauen* (Lobster Women), which explores love and the power of female solidarity. With *Hummerjahre* (Lobster Years), Beatrix Gerstberger presents the sequel: new beginnings and farewells on Eagle Island.

‘Die Hummerfrauen’ remained on the bestseller lists for weeks; it was written against the backdrop of a personal tragedy: Beatrix Gerstberger, then an editor at *brigitte*, needed a long break in the early 2000s because her husband – also a journalist – had been shot dead in Kosovo along with his photographer and translator.

Beatrix Gerstberger was pregnant at the time and subsequently lived with her child for months in Maine, where she got to know the tough female lobster fishermen in their everyday lives. She has returned to the East Coast time and again ever since.

Presenter: Luzia Stettler.

Niki Grieser Díez, winner of the ‘VorSatz’ writing competition, will read her text at the start of the event.