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Dance and mourning: Jochen Heckmann reads about loss and identity
Jochen Heckmann will read from his debut novel “Dancing, Falling, Flying” on May 20th in Villingen – a poetic look at identity and loss.
Dance and mourning: Jochen Heckmann reads about loss and identity
Jochen Heckmann, a native of Bad Dürrheim, will present his debut work “Dancing, Falling, Flying” on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the city library at the Münster in Villingen. The reading takes place in a special context as it is held on the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia, which is celebrated annually on May 17th. The Friends of the City Library supports the event and ensures the sale of drinks.
Heckmann's novel tells the story of Julian, a dancer who sets off to Paris in 1989 to study dance, and sheds light on his search for identity. At the same time, Julian's father, who struggles with personal loss and loneliness at home in the southern Black Forest, is discussed. A crucial element in the story is a box that Julian's father finds and that once belonged to his grandfather. This leads him on a journey to Paris and finally to Berlin, at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
A life in dance
Jochen Heckmann has not only developed a writing style that deals with the themes of alienation and rapprochement between father and son, but he also has a remarkable professional career. Nowadays he works as an author and previously studied classical and contemporary dance in Paris. As a dancer, educator and choreographer, he has worked around the world in cities such as Zurich and Augsburg. Heckmann has received several awards for his dancing achievements, including the Mannheim Literature Prize in 2008.
At the reading in Villingen, Heckmann will not only read excerpts from his novel, but he will also offer signed copies of his work for sale. Tickets cost six euros, reduced price four euros, and are available in both buildings of the city library. Further information can be obtained from library employee Tina Lang.
For anyone interested, the reading will be a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the poetic-sensual world of Jochen Heckmann and learn more about the challenges and changes in the last days of the GDR. At a time when society is changing, Heckmann's story will certainly provide food for thought.
How South Courier reports, Heckmann presents his novel about Julian and his father's journey, which offers a cross-generational perspective on the lives and relationships between parents and children. Additionally emphasized Black Forest messenger, that the background of the novel takes place at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which adds additional historical depth.