Sandra Engels in Koblenz: Reading about Grief, Loss, and New Courage
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Inspiring Courage from Insecurity: A Reading on Grief, Loss, and New Hope
When words fail, the true search for language begins. On October 21, 2026, the city library of Koblenz invites you to a literary evening on grief, loss, and the societal approach to goodbyes in honor of World Hospices Day. The event combines reading, music, and a panel discussion into a compelling literary experience.
An autobiographical voice about life afterwards
The focus is on Sandra Engels' autobiographical work My Life with a Zebra in My Head. In it, the author from the Middle Rhine Valley processes the sudden death of her partner and describes her experiences with loss, grief, and life afterwards. Her personal narrative perspective provides immediate access to a topic that affects many people and is often accompanied by silence.
The reading makes visible how literature can organize inner experiences. Between memory, pain, and cautious reorientation, a narrative form arises that neither comforts nor turns away but listens attentively. It is precisely this combination of autobiographical authenticity and linguistic artistry that gives the evening its special literary quality.
Music, conversation, and different perspectives
Impulse from the Friends of Reading and Books enriches the reading format with a literature-mediating perspective. Jonatan Ide accompanies the evening with cello music, adding sound accents that resonate with the quiet and contemplative nature of the theme. Language and music enter into a sensitive dialogue about memory, closeness, and farewell.
In the following panel discussion, personal and professional experiences meet. Sandra Engels speaks together with grief facilitator Nathalie Ide and the cultural commissioner and patron Ingo Schneider about the needs of grieving people and the question of how grief can gain more visibility and recognition in society. The conversation is moderated by Claudia Schönershoven, the deputy director of the Koblenz Hospice Association.
Literature as a space for social exchange
The event goes beyond the classic reading. It connects literary narration with cultural discourse and hospice experience. The central question is how people can encounter each other in times of loss without suppressing grief or resorting to banal phrases.
The reading atmosphere promises a concentrated, intimate evening: a voice that transforms personal experience into literature, a cello as a resonant sound space, and a panel that directs attention to grief as a societal task. Thus, an author encounter arises that touches and simultaneously invites engagement.
Conclusion: An evening that breaks down barriers
Inspiring Courage from Insecurity directs attention to what often remains unspoken in everyday life. Visitors can expect an moving reading from Sandra Engels' autobiographical work, musical accompaniment, and a conversation about grief, loss, and human closeness. Admission is free. Those who experience literature as a space for understanding, comfort, and societal exchange will find a special evening of listening and conversation at the city library of Koblenz.
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