The Picador Guest Professorship for Literature

About | Current Holder | Former Holders | Picador News | Meet the Picador

The Picador Professorship for Literature at the University of Leipzig is unique in Germany. Located at the university’s American Studies Program and based on a partnership between the Veranstaltungsforum der Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, the DAAD, and the University of Leipzig, it combines elements of a writers-in-residence program, creative writing programs, and university learning. The Picador Professorship for Literature brings leading young writers of English-language literature to Leipzig and Mitteldeutschland, thereby providing students with a chance to work with ‘practitioners’ of literature. It thus also engages in and fosters a vivid exchange about the relationship between literature, language, and culture, especially as they shape society’s negotiation of diversity and difference.

Current Picador Professor 

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the Picador Chair for Literature will remain empty in the Summer Term of 2020.

Former Picador Professors for Literature

Since the inauguration of the Picador Professorship in early 2007, American Studies Leipzig has been proud and honored to host the following Picador Guest Professors for Literature:

• Tristan Hughes (Winter 06/07): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/hughes
• James Hopkin (Summer 07): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/hopkin
• John Haskell (Winter 07/08): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/haskell
• Chuck Klosterman (Summer 08): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/klosterman
• Nancy Kress (Winter 08/09): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/kress
• Catherine Chung (Summer 09): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/chung
• Olen Steinhauer (Winter 09/10): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/steinhauer
• Christian Hawkey (Summer 10): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/hawkey
• Nathalie Handal (Winter 10/11): americanstudies.unileipzig.de/faculty/handal
• Shannon Cain (Summer 11): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/cain
• Porochista Khakpour (Winter 11/12): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/khakpour
• Fiona Maazel (Summer 12): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/maazel
• Alexander Chee (Winter 12/13): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/chee
• Calvin Baker (Summer 13): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/baker
• Jennine Capó Crucet (Winter 13/14): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/crucet
• Guillermo Verdecchia (Summer 14): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/verdecchia
• Michael Lowenthal (Winter 14/15): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/lowenthal
• Lauren K. Alleyne (Summer 15): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/alleyne
• Linh Dinh (Winter 15/16): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/dinh
• Justin Torres (Summer 16): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/torres
• Paul La Farge (Winter 16/17): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/lafarge
• Tom Drury (Summer 17): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/drury
• Daniel Peña (Winter 17/18): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/pena
• Rajesh Parameswaran (Summer 18): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/parameswaran
• Sasha Pimentel (Winter 18/19): americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/pimentel
• Josh Weil (Summer 19): http://americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/weil
• Morgan Jerkins (Winter 19/20): http://americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/jerkins

Picador Chair Related News, Events, and Activities

Meet the Picador Professor for Literature

American Studies Leipzig is very much interested in organizing Picador Professorship Events (readings, round tables, panel discussions, etc.) with local, regional, and national partners. If you are interested, please contact the American Studies Leipzig Picador Coordinator Annika Schadewaldt (email: annika.schadewaldt@uni-leipzig.de, phone: +49 (341) 97 37 334) directly.