Wenzel, Olivia. 1000 Serpentinen Angst (Frankfurt, 2020)

Wenzel’s debut novel has been long-listed for the Deutscher Buchpreis 2020 and offers some fantastic benefits for teaching. Her prose, like her previous theatrical work, experiments with form, perspective and repetition in creating the sense of ‘Serpentinen’ of the novel’s title. The contemporary style and frequent use of spoken register is perfect for  intermediate and advanced students in language classes, while the content is suited to a broad range of literature classes. Wenzel’s narrator was born in the GDR, raised by her mother, a single mother and a punk. The protagonist explores her memories of family life in the GDR, her experiences during reunification as a Black East German women, her relationships and encounters with men and women, all as she comes to terms with her grief. The novel’s plot takes her from Germany to the US, Vietnam, Morocco and Angola, all while the protagonist reflects on how her mobility as a German citizen interacts with the racism and discrimination she faces as a queer Black woman.