1. Literaturtage Elbe - LITE 2026 Lesung mit Karin Baron

After studying languages across Europe, Karin Baron worked as a translator, editor, and copywriter until she wrote a wild story for her daughters’ Advent calendar. She hasn’t stopped writing stories since, most recently about Hamburg, her favorite city and the place she calls home. Villa Flora, her first novel for adults, is also set on the Elbe.  

 A lively contemporary novel set against a historical backdrop 

 Flora Perleberg, the peculiar old lady with an eccentric wardrobe, not only indulges in her eccentric quirks and dotes on her pug Schmeling, but also harbors a secret. Her younger neighbor Alex is annoyed by her teenage kids, her mother, and the inheritance hunters who have their sights set on Flora’s villa. Grit, Alex’s friend with the loose tongue, needs a new place to live and a job after separating from her husband.  

When Claire, a French student, also moves into a room at Flora’s, this very special Elbe suburb shared apartment is complete. And it’s fighting on all fronts: for the villa, the truth, and composure. Little by little, Flora’s life story comes to light, revealing how the war and postwar years left deep scars.  

A cleverly crafted novel that spans from wartime to the present day. It tells of female intuition and the unshakable power of love.  

“My name is Flora Perleberg. I’m 86, if I haven’t miscalculated. And I’m still quite good at raising my spines or extending my claws.”