An evening for biodiversity: Esslinger Lesart inspires with anthological flights of fancy

An evening for biodiversity: Esslinger Lesart inspires with anthological flights of fancy

The Esslingen Lesart 2025 offered a significant highlight in the literary scene with the anthology “We thought we could fly”. The final event attracted a large audience and made a powerful connection between literature and the urgent issue of biodiversity. The four authors Matthias Jügler, Katerina Poladjan, Julia Schoch and Iris Wolff invited people to this event to literary explore the perspectives of extinct animal and plant species. As the Esslinger newspaper According to reports, between 150 and 200 species are estimated to be extinct every day, an alarming fact that highlights the extinction of endangered species.

Matthias Jügler, who hosted the evening, invited numerous well-known authors to pay literary honor to the extinct species. The anthology features contributions from greats such as John Burnside, Caroline Wahl and T. C. Boyle. Using these notoriously entertaining voices on a serious subject makes the collection particularly remarkable. Barbara Dziadosz, a talented illustrator, gave the texts visual depth and gave the overall work an additional dimension.

The loss of biodiversity

At least since the publication of the Living Planet Report 2024 According to the WWF, the seriousness of the situation can hardly be overlooked. The report documents a dramatic decline in wildlife populations worldwide, particularly mammals, birds and fish. The decline, which has been observed since 1970, has averaged 73% - a worrying trend that threatens the survival of many species.

The WWF strongly emphasizes that humans are the main cause of the loss of biological diversity. Destruction of natural habitats, overexploitation of resources and the climate crisis are just some of the factors leading to this worrying trend. This information is not only important for conservationists, but should inspire us all to take action. Today's humanity must face the challenges of species extinction driven by various ecological threats.

Literature as a call for change

During the two and a half hour event, the authors gave the audience insights into the fate of extinct species. Julia Schoch spoke about the extinction of the aurochs, which was last seen in 1627. Katerina Poladjan brought new perspectives with a humorous contribution about the Steller's sea cow, its history and a festival in its honor. Iris Wolff discussed another sad loss with a behavioral biologist in search of the Caspian tiger.

The reading was accompanied by the Rothko String Quartet, which underlined the emotional depth of the evening with musical interludes. In particular, Cultural Mayor Yalcin Bayraktar highlighted the high number of visitors and emphasized the need to promote love of literature, especially among the young generation. Finally, recognition was given to Dominique Caina, who retired after four years as program director of the Literaturtage.

The events of the evening and the information gathered about the decline in biodiversity are an urgent call for us all. Initiatives like the Esslingen Reading are all the more important, as they offer a creative framework to shed light on these pressing issues. It becomes clear: Literature can be a powerful tool to create awareness and initiate change.