Reading with Kris Lauwerys

Kris Lauwerys will read from his new book "From Light into Darkness" on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 8:30 PM in the Sonnenburg Library. The reading is suitable for adults. Kris Lauwerys, born in 1972 in Belgium, has been translating literature from German and French into Dutch for many years, together with his partner Isabelle Schoepen. For their commitment to Austrian literature, they were awarded the State Prize for Literary Translation in 2024. In 2025, "From Light into Darkness – Three Women in Vienna 1900–1938: Emilie Flöge, Milena Jesenská, and Veza Canetti" was published by Residenz Verlag.

From Light into Darkness
Three Women in Vienna 1900–1938: Emilie Flöge, Milena Jesenská, and Veza Canetti
Three women, three paths, one era

The fashion designer Emilie Flöge, journalist Milena Jesenská, and writer Veza Canetti shaped their time. They lived and worked in the vibrant Vienna of 1900 to 1938 – a city caught between cultural and social renewal and political decline. The looming shadows of National Socialism radically changed their lives. Between glamour and exile, breakthrough and loss, their stories tell of strength, creativity, and the struggle for survival in a shattered world. This book connects the portrait of a city with the life stories of three extraordinary women – a poignant book about courage and change.

Where: Library, Hotel Sonnenburg
Registration is possible at events@sonnenburg.at or at the Sonnenburg reception. For guests of the Sonnenburg Hotel and Restaurant, participation in the reading is free. If you are only attending the reading, an admission fee of €5.00 per person will be charged. This amount can be paid directly at the Sonnenburg reception before the event.