About

Grab a slice of cake, a cup of tea, and step into a dialogue between two powerful contemporary voices, exploring cultural inheritance and the universal search for meaning and connection. Fatma Aydemir and Jonas Hassen Khemiri will look deeply at family dynamics, generational memory, and the ties that bind us across time and place. In Djinns, Aydemir explores how long-buried family secrets and the experience of migration shape the lives of one Turkish-German family, revealing how the past lingers in the present. Khemiri’s The Sisters follows the Mikkola sisters through decades of love, betrayal, and self-discovery, tracing how siblings grow together and apart. Together, these novels remind us that the stories we inherit – and those we create – are what keep us connected.

Moderated by Roland Gulliver

Fatma Ayedmir’s appearance is supported by the Goethe-Institut Toronto.

Djinns

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The Sisters: A Novel

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Fatma Aydemir

Fatma Aydemir is a writer and journalist based in Berlin. Her debut novel Ellbogen came out in 2017, its film adaptation premiered at Berlinale Film Festival in 2023.

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Credit Bahar Kaygusuz

Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Jonas Hassen Khemiri is the author of six novels, seven plays, and a collection of essays and short stories. His work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages.

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