Politics and Literature. Everyday Life under Authoritarianism

This time, the book club “Politics and Literature” explores everyday life in authoritarian societies. We read novels that depict swift regime changes as well as slow descents into authoritarianism or transitions from omnipresent observation, through societal discouragement, to the deprivation of personal liberty. We will examine novels that explore the Cold War (or even promote it through specific literary means), such as George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four or Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon.

We will vote on the reading list during our first meeting on October 14 (6 pm). In addition to our focus on the Cold War, we will read novels on experiences of powerlessness towards politics, militarization, and nuclear weapons. We will also read novels that deal with faith in the future and possibilities of self-empowerment.

Starting from literary depictions of experiences with authoritarian regimes of the past century, we want to discuss current authoritarian tendencies. These tendencies are evident in the perfection of state control or in the skillful manipulation of public attention through social media by an emerging techno-feudalism.

The book club will be meeting once a month between October 2025 and June 2026 at Helle Panke e.V.