A Tribute to the Power of Poetry

"Grass tells the tale of the harmonious German poets always in high spirits, with gentle irony and robust humor - and with an artistry unmatched in contemporary German literature." Marcel Reich-Ranicki

In 1647, the German Baroque poets gather in Telgte near Münster, where at the same time the power and territorial negotiations, known as the Peace of Westphalia, are taking place. Grimmelshausen provides them with accommodations, and his immortal character, the land-stirrer Courage, serves as their hostess while the authors read and discuss their works.

With this fictional meeting, Grass pays tribute to Hans Werner Richter, the founder and mentor of Group 47, and simultaneously celebrates the enduring power of poetry to name all the woes of this world and to counter despair with a quiet "Nevertheless.".