Miku Sophie Kühmel will read about love and art in the 20s on August 29th

Miku Sophie Kühmel will read about love and art in the 20s on August 29th

On August 29, 2025, the “Heinrich Heine” city library in Cologne invites you to a special literary event. The author Miku Sophie Kühmel will read from her new novel “Hannah”. The reading begins at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available free of charge. This is part of the city anniversary reading series “12 authors, 50 stories”, which is supported by the regional foundation of the Kreissparkasse Gotha.

In “Hannah” Kühmel explores the relationship between the artist Hannah Höch and the writer Til Brugmann. These two remarkable women lived and worked in The Hague and Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s. Her story is not only a romantic adventure, but also a reflection of the political turbulence of the time, when National Socialism threatened to stifle artistic freedom. The two protagonists meet for the first time in Höch's studio, where an intense and passionate relationship develops that lasts several years. This loving connection is characterized by celebration and tenderness, but also by the challenges that social circumstances bring with them.

Queer love in focus

What makes “Hannah” so special? In addition to the deep emotional connection between the protagonists, the novel addresses the queerness of the two women, a topic that is often neglected or misinterpreted in historical literature. “I want readers to forget the historical distance and experience eye level with the characters,” explains Kühmel. The fiction merges with real historical figures, such as Kurt Schwitters and Raul Hausmann, which gives the book an additional charm. However, the author emphasizes that the characters are fictional and the novel should not be understood as an art historical treatise, but as a literary work that is intended to stimulate thought.

A look at the author

Miku Sophie Kühmel, born in Gotha in 1992 and now living as a freelance writer in Berlin, has created an important work with “Hannah”. The artist Hannah Höch is one of the most important representatives of the Weimar Republic and was part of the Dada movement, which opposed conventional art forms and sought courageous new forms of expression. Kühmel succeeds in putting this historical figure in the light of a timeless love story that appeals to many readers.

The reading on Friday promises not only literary fare, but also a deep insight into a relationship that was shaped by art, passion and the challenges of its time. If you are interested, you should hurry up because the tickets are in high demand! There is more information about the book here. Don't miss this opportunity and experience the special connection between art and literature this evening.

Interested readers can look forward to an inspiring event that not only honors the art of Hannah Höch, but also reflects the unusual life stories of women in turbulent times. Be there!