Axel Hacke & Co. in Schliersee: "We want to try alternatives"

The makers of the young Schliersee Reads Association won't let themselves be dissuaded from their ambitions that quickly - not even by a pandemic.

Schliersee -

Although the coronavirus overturned the first lovingly designed two-week program in April, Schliersee organized three evenings with “reading magic for the living room” via the Internet, just recently with funny Christmas things with Axel Hacke.

What this is all about, explains chairman Christoph Seidenfus (63) in an interview.

Mr. Seidenfus, how did you come to found Schlierseelesen?

My wife Beatrix and I found that reading as an important basic cultural technique, in view of the appalling study results, must be sustainably promoted, especially among children and young people.

Reading is not just entertainment and stimulation of the imagination, but it builds bridges between people and generations when reading aloud or helps to formulate oneself in order to cope with this world.

Who wants to join in?

With such committed supporters as Patrick Edler von Hoessle from the book oasis, library manager Gabriele Dressel, Sabine Adolph from the Michaelsbund der Archdiocese, graphic designer Renate Holzmeier and guest information manager Mathias Schrön, the association was founded within two months.

Merkur publisher Dirk Ippen was immediately ready to take over the patronage for our premiere event in April.

You had exciting plans for these first two weeks.

Yes, thanks to Leader funding, we were able to make an offer to listen, participate and experiment almost every day.

Everything burst!

The program has not been canceled, has it just been postponed?

We are planning it again for April 2021 - hopefully then without corona restrictions.

Preferably live - if necessary also hybrid with internet.

We will decide that in January.

Have you now just started offering readings on the homepage www.schliersee-liest.de?

With Sabine Adolph and Gabriele Dressel in “Reading Magic for the Living Room”, we have obtained funding from the German Literature Fund, which enables authors to perform in Corona times through the “Neustart Kultur” program.

There were grants for three appointments.

Last Wednesday we invited Birgit Lutz, a polar traveler from Schliersee, and the well-known author and columnist Axel Hacke on Sunday evening.

On Saturday, January 9th, Arno Strobel will read from his thriller "The App - They Know Where You Live" about the risks of electronic programs.

Are you offering more readings in the foreseeable future?

That depends on the further development.

With the three dates we have exhausted our funding contingent for the time being.

We intend to make an offer on a regular basis.

As long as normal readings do not work - probably well into next year - we will try alternatives.

Of course, it only works if the audience participates.

How has the response been so far?

The club basically requires entry.

We have to ask for something, because we have expenses for fees and technical expenses for the live stream and the recording for our website.

The reading can later be viewed here as a video.

The response was positive, especially with Birgit Lutz.

How do your listeners get to the readings or videos?

This works on our website in just a few steps.

You can transfer the ticket price, communicate this by email and then receive an access code for the stream or video.

With PayPal you get the password immediately.

Unfortunately you cannot buy the ticket in the books oasis at the moment.

How is your club going?

We look forward to people who want to join us and are open to requests and suggestions.

Further information

The Schliersee reads association can be reached at www.schliersee-liest.de or via Christoph Seidenfus, phone 01 72/8 63 30 32, seidenfus@t-online.de.