27^th Leukerbad International Literary Festival

German Voices

German voices will present some of the foreign-language readings—either by reading the translations of the texts or alternating with the author reading the text in the original language. The sound of the text’s original language will, in any event, be featured.

Depending on the line-up, there may be (partial) simultaneous interpretation of the conversations and panel discussions. Please check the detailed program for information.

Carmen Grau was born and grew up in southern Germany. She did her studies in Rome and Mainz, and received her diploma in interpreting for Italian, English and French. Since 1996, she has worked as a freelance conference interpreter, primarily in Germany and Switzerland. Since 1997, she has taught consecutive and simultaneous interpreting at the University of Mainz / FTSK Germersheim. For many years she served as chair of the Germersheim Association for Literature and Music e.V. Since 2017, she frequently interprets at book fairs and literary festivals throughout the world, including the Leukerbad International Literary Festival.

Thomas Sarbacher was born in Hamburg and completed his training as an actor at the School of Music and Fine Arts in Graz. After many years in the Bremen Shakespeare Company ensemble, he took on many guest engagements in theaters throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Since 2000, he has performed as a freelance actor in many television and theater productions and for many years literature has been an important field for him. Along with participating in readings and literary events with foreign authors, he records audio books for, among others, the Swiss Library for the Blind and Visually or Reading Impaired (SBS). He has created his own format for literary readings, and he develops theater productions based on literary material, the most recent being Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald (2000). Thomas Sarbacher lives in Zurich.

Michaela Wendt was born in Mexico City and grew up in Germany. She studied acting in Saarbrücken and performed on various stages in German and Switzerland. Her most recent regular engagement was in the Bern City Theater. She then worked as a voice actor for various media and a reader at literary events of all kinds, with musicians, dancers, in stage or performance projects, and for pedagogical work. She has led writing workshops and worked as a communications trainer. Art and literature have been a major focus in her literary tours of Swiss art museums. She lives in Bern.