Conversation Series “Dialogues” – Book: Katharina Volckmer: The Appointment

Date: 23 January 2026, 6:00 PM
Venue: Orient-Institut Istanbul
Book: Katharina Volckmer: The Appointment

A conversation series by Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy, organized in cooperation of the Nâzım Hikmet Culture and Arts Research Center at Boğaziçi University and the Orient-Institut Istanbul.

Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy will discuss Katharina Volckmer’s book The Appointment at the “Dialogues” event, which will take place on Friday, 23 January 2026 at 18:00 at the Orient-Institut Istanbul.

Katharina Volckmer’s debut novel The Appointment was published in 2020. The fact that a young author, born and raised in Germany, wrote a bold work referencing Hitler, Jews, and the Holocaust attracted both interest and strong reactions. The polemics intensified when it became known that Volckmer had written the novel not in German but in English. When the German translation came out in 2021, it continued to provoke responses and shed light on the neurotic relationship that today’s young German generation maintains with its past.

Although born in Germany, the young woman at the centre of the novel is determined to free herself from her family roots and her homeland with a life in London. There, she opens up her inner world to Dr. Seligman, sharing her life, desires, and the hidden facets of her personality. An unexpected inheritance that emerges after a relative’s death shows that the shadows of one’s past cannot easily be escaped, not only on a familial level but also in a broader societal context.

The Appointment is a narrative of confrontation with the self and with the “other,” a stream of consciousness capturing a woman on the threshold of change.

“National identity and sexual identity are untangled with dark humour.” – The Guardian

“Dark and dazzling like Naked Lunch. It also has a mesmerising beauty.” – Ian McEwan

For years, Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy have been engaging in public conversations about world literature, unrestricted by language or historical period. The Orient-Institut Istanbul is pleased to make its auditorium available for this series.

More information on “Dialogues”:
https://nazimhikmetmerkezi.com/kategori/etkinlikler/diyaloglar-etkinlikler/

The event is free of charge and will be held in Turkish. Photo and video recordings will be taken during the event. By attending, you consent to their use on the OII website, in the newsletter and on social media. Registration is required.

Venue:
Orient-Institut Istanbul
Galip Dede Cad. 65, Şahkulu Mah., TR–34421 Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 293 60 67
oiist@oiist.org
www.oiist.org

REGISTRATION
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