This year’s Frankfurt Book Fair provided the ideal setting for an exciting and highly topical panel discussion organized by our association, Climate Fiction Writers Europe e.V. The event was well attended—a clear sign that interest in this genre is growing steadily.
Founding members Uwe Laub and Tibor Rode took their places on the podium on behalf of our association. Unfortunately, the planned moderator had to cancel at short notice due to illness, but this posed no problem for the two experienced authors. Together, they provided insights into the genre of Climate Fiction and explained why it should be brought even more strongly to the attention of readers, particularly in Germany.
Unlike specialist books, fictional literature has the power to make complex scientific and social contexts emotionally tangible—and thus to trigger processes of thought and change.
Tibor Rode used his top-selling novels Animal, Lupus, and Der Wald (The Forest) to show how he addresses the relationship between humans and nature in his thrillers and embeds ecological issues in gripping plots.
Likewise, Uwe Laub explained how he combines scientific scenarios with real dangers in his thrillers such as Storm, Leben (Life), and Blaues Gold (Blue Gold), thereby raising awareness of sensitive issues.
In the second part of the event, both authors gave a detailed presentation of our association, Climate Fiction Writers Europe e.V. – its goals, its mission, and the ways in which it aims to achieve them.
This includes international writing competitions, charitable readings, and networking with players in the book industry all across Europe. The goal is to keep building up Climate Fiction and make it more accessible to a wider audience.
In conclusion, Uwe Laub emphasized that although the association is still young, it already has over 50 members from nine European countries. This is a strong foundation for making literary engagement with climate issues even more visible in the future.
After the event, there was still time for discussions and book signings.
