Reading & Discussion: Jarka Kubsova - In the Light of the New Day
A grand, luminous story about justice and the past, women’s historiography, and the courage to face the truth, from the bestselling author of *Marschlande*.
Moderator: Caroline Grafe, LIT.QUARTIER
A grand, luminous story about justice and the past, women’s historiography, and the courage to face the truth.
Jarka Kubsova’s new novel takes us to Bohemia. Deep in the fairy-tale-like Bohemian Forest, the fates of two courageous women intertwine. The writer Elli Hajek recalls a character she was once told about: Viktorka, who was declared insane and lived alone in the Bohemian forest. When Elli learns that Viktorka really existed, she travels to the country she herself fled as a child. She wants to know more. But deep in the forest, amid glowing ferns and a rushing river, another task awaits her. Elli must confront her own repressed history.
Jarka Kubsova was born in the former Czechoslovakia and has lived in Germany since 1987. She has worked as a journalist, ghostwriter, and co-author of several successful nonfiction books. Her debut novel, *Bergland*, was published in 2021, followed in 2023 by the novel *Marschlande*, which was nominated for the “Favorite Book of Independent Bookstores” award and adapted for the stage. Jarka Kubsova lives in Hamburg.
