Please introduce yourself in two or three sentences.
I got my start writing in my youth, studying fellow citizens in the U-Bahn in Berlin on the way to school. I was fascinated by how you can broaden your experiential horizon and empathetically participate in the world by using your own imagination.
I particularly like this quote by Fernando Pessoa, ‘If only I could be everybody everywhere!’ It hangs on the wall above my desk.
The broadly shared notion that literature is born of suffering always seemed too simple to me. I also write out of curiosity and ‘creative desire’.
What really appals me is the (very German) concept of the genius – generally construed as male, to boot. Even if writing is a difficult and demanding pursuit, I still believe that many people are able to write; this essentially human form of expression is not only reserved for a few ‘geniuses’. I am sceptical about any generalized qualities used to define ‘good literature’, since the literary canon often reflects power dynamics more than anything else, and has always been heavily shaped by the zeitgeist and trends.
What career experience do you have in your field of consultation?
Since the early-to-mid-nineties I’ve been active in Berlin’s literary scene as an author. Since then, I’ve published 20 individual titles and made numerous contributions to anthologies and journals, among other formats. In the process I’ve worked with various publishers, from the very small to the very large (from bonsai and bübül to Hanser and Random House). Reading tours have been part of my activity as an author for decades. By leading writing workshops, I gained experience in working with young and new authors. Beyond that, I’ve published books; copyedited many texts; served on juries for literary prizes and grants; organized my own reading series and literary events; moderated many literary and socio-political events at the invitation of the Böll-Stiftung, the Ebert-Stiftung, the Goethe-Institut, Willy-Brandt-Haus, the Haus für Poesie and the Akademie der Künste; and frequently operated at the intersection of literature and politics. I also work with refugee writers in various projects. I’m a member of PEN Berlin and ver.di and belong to the Christa-Wolf-Gesellschaft.
What are typical questions that participants might ask you in a consultation session?
How do I find a publisher? How do I find an agent? What should I keep in mind for the search?
What does a good proposal to a publisher or an agency look like?
How do I structure my literary everyday life?
What are some of your professional achievements?
Around 20 individual titles, hundreds of anthology contributions – including with most of the big publishers – and 16 grants, here and abroad. Various prizes (e.g. Preis der deutschsprachigen Bibliotheken, Kargo-Preis Europa, and the prize of the Polish Embassy for a literary text concerned with the politics of memory) and accolades (I was once chosen for Steinmeier’s cultural delegation). I’ve had teaching assignments and residency grants at various American universities and colleges. I’ve travelled all over the world to give readings, from Sao Paulo to Peking. Successful interdisciplinary projects with artists in various fields. I’ve always been able to live from my artistic work.
What languages do you offer consultation sessions in?
German and English.
Where can you be found in the internet/on social media?
www.tanjadueckers.de
www.preussisch-suess.de
On FB and Insta.
What piece of advice would you offer anyone interested in working in your professional field?
If a text you wrote is rejected, it is a rejection of your text and not a rejection of you personally.
What were your greatest challenges in the early years of your career?
Sexism. Being underestimated, not taken seriously (‘girl wonder’). A lack of solidarity from women in secure positions in the literature business. Clueless when it came to pragmatic aspects and finances. A lack of confidence and too little knowledge in negotiating fees. A tendency to be too nice.