Weltliteratur

"Where world literature is labeled, Western literature is contained." Whether it concerns reviews in the feuilleton, university seminars, lists of the 'most important' works, or readings in school classes: the literary creations of authors from Asia, Africa, and Latin America are often overlooked—due to ignorance and many other reasons. In his insightful essay, writer and journalist Gerrit Wustmann not only reveals what we miss out on because of this, but also how one-sided reading distorts our view of the world. From Goethe's concept of 'world literature' to today's everyday exchange in a globalized literary scene, much has changed. However, the still one-sided use of the term also shows that we still have a long way to go.