The advertising tour for Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre’s new book “Still awake?” is entering the next round. If it’s advertising. It’s not that clear. Maybe there is a serious message behind it?
On Saturday, Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre posted a video on his Instagram account in which around 70 actresses, writers and musicians said, “Then women don’t have to be surprised either”.
Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Leander Haußmann, Ronja von Rönne, Kurt Krömer, Annette Frier and Bill Kaulitz will be there. Many friends of Stuckrad-Barre. Apparently the author has used his network to – yes, what? Draw attention to sexism and abuse of power? Or to promote his book?
“Then women don’t have to be surprised either” is the title of the first chapter of Stuckrad-Barre’s new book, which will be published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch Verlag on April 19. It is suspected that the plot of the novel, which takes place in the media industry in Los Angeles, is a reference to sexism at Springer Verlag and the MeToo cases surrounding the ex-“Bild” editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt.
Stuckrad-Barre has a part to play in this. In connection with the allegations against the former “Bild” editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt and his subsequent expulsion, the name of the writer and former Springer author was often mentioned. It was said that Stuckrad-Barre had criticized Reichelt’s behavior towards Mathias Döpfner and got the ball rolling for his dismissal.
So is Stuckrad-Barre’s novel actually about Springer, Döpfner, Reichelt? The story starts in LA, reports on the abuse of power in the media industry and then ends up in Berlin. There, “the narrator no longer finds himself as a deckchair observer, but now as an actor in the middle of a confusing event that plunges him into a deep personal conflict,” says the publisher’s blurb.
Even the first announcement of Stuckrad-Barre’s novel was puzzling. In the spring preview by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, the title, cover and synopsis of the book were missing. Only “Neuer Roman” was written on the white cover. But also the Germany tour dates for Stuckrad-Barres readings.
To home page
