Kris Lauwerys will read on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 8:30 PM in the Sonnenburg Library from his new book “From Light into Darkness.” The reading is suitable for adults.
Kris Lauwerys, born in 1972 in Belgium, along with his partner Isabelle Schoepen, has been translating literature from German and French into Dutch for many years. For their commitment to Austrian literature, they were awarded the State Prize for Literary Translation in 2024. In 2025, “From Light into Darkness – Three Women in Vienna 1900–1938: Emilie Flöge, Jesenská, and Veza Canetti” was published by the Residenz Verlag.
From Light into Darkness
Three Women in Vienna 1900–1938: Emilie Flöge, Milena Jesenská, and Veza Canetti
Three Women, Three Paths, One Era
The fashion designer Emilie Flöge, the journalist Milena Jesenská, and the writer Veza Canetti shaped their time. They lived and worked in the vibrant Vienna of 1900 to 1938 – a city caught between cultural and social renewal and political decline. The looming shadows of National Socialism radically changed their lives. Between glamour and exile, adventure and loss, their stories tell of strength, creativity, and the struggle for survival in a shattered world. This book connects the portrait of a city with the life paths of three extraordinary women – a poignant book about courage and change.
Where: Library, Hotel Sonnenburg
Registration is possible at events@sonnenburg.at or at the Sonnenburg reception.
For Sonnenburg hotel and restaurant guests, participation in the reading is free. If you are coming only for the reading, an entrance fee of €5.00 per person will be charged. You can pay the amount directly at the Sonnenburg reception before the event.
