Germany @ Canada 2017
Sneak Peek at Norbert Gstrein's New Novel

How does a chosen literary setting affect story, characters, and voice of a novel? Last year, the award-winning author Norbert Gstrein was our featured author during Germany @ Canada's 2017's Borderless Mountains program during IFOA 2017 and at the Banff Centre's Literary Arts and Banff Mountain Festival.

Norbert Gstrein | © Gustav Eckart The Hamburg-based author discussed how region and home defined his work and read from his new novel, "Die kommenden Jahre" ("The Upcoming Years"), a story of a climatologist who wants to get rid of his life, his wife and move to Canada. You can read a sample chapter from the new novel here.

Gstrein discusses how home and region defines his writing, growing up in the middle of the Alps and how his small village was sometimes closed off to the world due to avalanches, which was helpful in developing imaginative literary powers.

In case you missed it, this video has some highlights from the program "Borderless Mountains" as part of Germany @ Canada 2017.

Presented by the Goethe-Institut Toronto, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Toronto's International Festival of Authors.