Literature as a European mother tongue: In our series “One is a CROWD”, we introduce you to authors from all over Europe who will be involved in the CROWD omnibus reading tour, taking place from May to July 2016, featuring 100 authors who will be travelling through 15 European countries. We asked them three questions about text production, reception and mediation. In case you were wondering what a literary activist in Vienna looks like, meet Ilse Kilic!
Do you see yourself as an author? Are you the originator and main authority of your text? And if not, who is, if anyone at all?
Yes – I am the main authority. It is my name written on the cover of the book. I get the money, if there is any money and I am registered as the owner of the copyright. But when I’m writing I am not on my own. There are the books, I have read, there are the other authors, they are writing and reading behind me, before me, beside me, and there are the figures, which come to live inside the text (they represent particular interests). Last not least there are the words and the syntax, and there are the constraints and restrictions which I gave to the work (I wrote for example a book without using the vowels E and U).
Reading is writing is reading is writing … – why, and if, how?
I think reading is reading and writing is writing. But reading is very important for me as I am a writer, and writing is important for me as I am a reader. Maybe it would be important for all of the readers to write in their own way – as it is important to the writers to read (in their own way). Writing changes the way of reading and vice versa.
What is your favorite literary spot in…? (literary venue, bar, meeting spot etc.) Please give us a link to the website of the spot.
I do not have a favorite literary spot. In fact, I do not like looking for the superlative: the best, the most favorite, the most fascinating. There are different venues – I like them for to be so completely different, but I do not like the one more than the other.
There is Amerlinghaus (in former times an occupied place, now a place of social and cultural meeting). And there is Alte Schmiede, a place who created also possibilities for writers and the public.
…and there are many many places, which are to be found.
There is also a good place to for readings, music and beer-drinking, namely fluc. All these places together build up „my favorite spotˮ (which is to grow on and on).