In "Rom auf Abwegen," Feridun Zaimoglu brushes against the grain of the eternal city. An exciting year in a historic place: As a fellow at the Villa Massimo, Feridun Zaimoglu sets out to explore Rome and get to know the Romans. Amazing encounters follow, resulting in brilliant texts. A year told through weekly stories. It is a great honor and at the same time a heavy burden: spending a year in Rome as a German-speaking author, living and working there—especially when one stands out as a German Turk. Feridun Zaimoglu remains undeterred, immersing himself in the experience, learning Italian according to his needs ("Una spremuta d'arrancia, per favore" is his first sentence), avoiding tourist spots, and preferring to wander through flea markets and among foreigners. Thus, Sergej, the mysterious man from...