Attic Reading: Ben Rakidžija • In Defense of the Afternoon Nap

A thoughtful, lighthearted reading that blends dreams, moments of respite, and quiet rebellion. The Attic Reading combines literature, philosophical reflection, and subtle humor into an evening exploring tranquility, dreams, and the right to pause. Ben Rakidžija will read from his novella “In Defense of the Afternoon Nap” on Friday, December 18, 2026, at 8 p.m. at the Kulturhaus Schwanen in Waiblingen. The Attic Reading combines literature, philosophical reflection, and quiet humor into an evening about tranquility, dreaming, and the right to pause. In an age when breaks are often seen as a disruption, Ben Rakidžija puts the afternoon nap on trial—not as a sign of tiredness, but as an art form. “In Defense of the Afternoon Nap” is a small ode to sleep, a philosophical essay on dreaming, and a literary defense speech from the fictional land of Tasmunien. The text asks what humans are missing when they no longer allow themselves rest. Rakidžija reflects on the siesta as others do on revolutions: with seriousness, wit, and a sense of the comical aspects of our restless present. The author, born in 1980 in Ludwigsburg, lives as a writer, hotel philosopher, and self-proclaimed afternoon napper in the southern countries of Europe. He writes aphorisms, novellas, novels, and plays. His romantic comedy “Darling, Argue with Me!” has been performed on international stages since 2021. “In Defense of the Afternoon Nap” was published in 2025, followed in 2026 by his collection of short stories “Letters from My Garden.” Because many of his books were written in hotel rooms, Rakidžija likes to call his texts “hotel literature”—as a counterpart to “coffeehouse literature.” At the attic reading at Schwanen, linguistic art meets deceleration: an evening for people who want to know just how wide awake a text about sleep can be.