Mithu Sanyal talks about Identitti” on the HHU campus!

Mithu Sanyal talks about Identitti” on the HHU campus!

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Heinrich Heine University (HHU) invites you to a special event: author Mithu Sanyal will present her best-selling novel “Identitti” in a conversation that addresses the connections between the work and the campus. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in lecture hall 3E and is free for anyone interested.

Mithu Sanyal, who studied literature at the HHU and earned her doctorate there, has created “Identitti,” a novel that takes place on the university campus. In her book she deals with the stories of a professor and a student, which further builds a bridge to the academic world that she herself shaped. This work could also be interpreted as a homage to Heinrich Heine, whose legacy lives on at this institution.

Insights into the academic relationship

In the interview, Sanyal is accompanied by her doctoral supervisor, Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Pott, accompanied. The aim of this discussion is to gain a deeper insight into Sanyal's academic roots and the influence of her time together at HHU on her literary work. The evening's moderator, Simone Saftig, an experienced cultural journalist and literary scholar, will guide the participants through the discussions.

In order to promote interaction, students and those interested in literature can also submit questions via Instagram, which will be answered during the evening. This underlines the relevance of teaching literature today, which not only promotes understanding but also active engagement with literary content.

Mediation of literature as cultural education

The event is not only an example of the close connection between literature and academic education, but also focuses on the fundamental role of literature education in society. Studies show that early reading support is crucial for literary competence, which is a prerequisite for social participation and political participation. Only about 17% of parents read to their preschool children every day, highlighting the importance of initiatives that support reading and writing.

Teaching literature runs through all levels of education and includes not only reading and understanding texts, but also creative writing and dealing with various forms of text. University institutes in Germany offer specific courses of study for this purpose, and public libraries are central places for the dissemination of literary education.

The event with Mithu Sanyal fits into this framework and shows how important the connection between past academic experience and current literary creation is. With this event, Heinrich Heine University offers a platform to reflect on literature as well as the importance of education and cultural participation.

Overall, the evening will offer a unique opportunity to illuminate the interactions between literature and academic life and to emphasize the importance of cultural education. Sanyal's work and her experiences will inspire many audiences and stimulate discourse about literature in a university context.

For further information about events and educational offerings, those interested can visit the Heinrich Heine University websites and the corresponding platforms for teaching literature.