What does it mean to be heard in exile? How does one’s voice change in a foreign land? This extraordinary matinee brings together three perspectives: Arendt scholar Samantha Rose Hill speaks about the experiences of German intellectuals in American exile, Syrian journalist Yasmin Merei reflects on writing between languages, and Chinese writer Xu Xing shares his observations on listening and being heard in different political systems.

The event is part of the Ways of Listening Festival, in collaboration with DAI Heidelberg. You can find an overview of the full program here.

Yasmin Merei is a Syrian journalist, linguist, and human rights activist. Born in Homs, she was forced to leave Syria in 2012 and has lived in exile ever since. In Berlin, she founded "Women for Common Spaces," a network of migrant and refugee women.

Chinese author and filmmaker Xu Xing has only recently faced the experience of exile. In early 2024, Xu Xing had to leave China. In his work, he engages with the Cultural Revolution and gives a voice to those on the margins of Chinese society. Most recently, he taught at the University of Heidelberg, among other institutions.

Participants (Kopie)

Samantha Rose Hill is the author of Hannah Arendt (2021) and Hannah Arendt’s Poems (2023). She teaches at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and the University of the Underground. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Aeon and LitHub, among others.