Haus für Poesie

Berlin newcomer band make danceable music with electronic sounds and strong beats that combines lightness with power and emotion. The members are Pablo Schomburg (19), Nicolai von Schwarze (20) and Leonard Wagenbreth (19), and they create their own compositions they describe as “alternative independent out of electronic spheres and poetic realism”. They deal with personal experience in their song lyrics. Since they started in September 2010, Artwhy have been extremely active, with many appearances and band competition successes. They have alse released an LP, Wall Paint, in 2011. There are music videos for the songs ‘Mr. Wong, You’re so High’ and ‘Heart of Kopenhagen’. 

Jan Böttcher (born in 1973 in Lüneburg) lives in Berlin. He is a writer, singer and musician. While studying Modern German Literature and Scandinavian Studies in Berlin and Stockholm, he founded the band Herr Nilsson, which was strongly identified with him as its singer and lyricist for four albums.
As well as his other solo literary and musical projects, Böttcher started with some friends the music and events promotion label KOOKberlin, for which he has promoted and organised many events. In 2007 and 2009 he was co-promoter of the festivals LAN – Three Days of Young Literature and Music in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
In 2005 Böttcher was awarded the Märkische Fellowship for Literature, and in 2006 and 2009 he was a fellow of the German Literature Fund. In the Ingeborg Bachmann competition Jan Böttcher won the Ernst Willner Prize, and his novel Nachglühen (2008) published shortly thereafter was described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as “a quiet masterpiece”. His latest novel, Das Lied vom Tun und Lassen was published by Rowohlt in 2011.
Publications (selection): Lina oder: das kalte Moor (2003), kookbooks

Fön (= hair dryer) are writer Michael Ebmeyer (born 1973 in Bonn), Tilman Rammstedt (born 1975 in Bielefeld), Florian Werner (born 1971 in Berlin) and lyricist Bruno Franceschini (born 1975 in Rome). Together they create and combine poetry, short prose and dialogues with music. Sometimes spoken, mostly sung, the words are embedded in arrangements with elements of pop, chanson and jazz. Piano, guitars, viola, trumpet and a home-made percussion kit meet amusing lyrics. Literature and music meet in Fön and get on very well indeed.
As well as concert appearances and two albums, Wir haben Zeit (2004) and Ein bisschen plötzlich (2007), Fön have released an adventure novel, Mein Leben als Fön (2004) and offer writing and music workshops.
Tilman Rammstedt writes stories and novels. For Erledigungen vor der Feier (2003), Wir bleiben in der Nähe (2005) and Der Kaiser von China (2008) he has received various awards including the 2008 Ingeborg Bachmann Prize and Annette von Droste Hülsdorff Prize.
Michael Ebmeyer’s novels include Plüsch (2002), Der Neuling (2009) and Landungen (2010). The film version of Der Neuling has just been released as Ausgerechnet Sibirien (in English: Lost in Siberia or Siberia, Of All Places).
Florian Werner is the author of the volume of stories Wir sprechen uns noch (2005) and has also published several non-fiction books. Die Kuh: Leben, Werk und Wirkung (The Life and Work of the Cow) (2009) was voted most original science book of the year and awarded the Environment Prize of the State of Brandenburg. His Dunkle Materie: Die Geschichte der Scheiße (Dark Matter: the History of Shit) was published in early 2011.
Bruno Franceschini is a musician, singer and composer. He performs German-Italian pop chansons both solo and with the band. His first CD, Du kannst alles haben, was released by the Berlin KOOK label in 2006. Geld oder Leben (2006), Rowohlt Berlin, Nachglühen (2008), Rowohlt Berlin.

Bernadette La Hengst (born in 1967 in Bad Salzuflen) is a pop and electro-pop artist now living in Hamburg and Berlin. She was an actor in various independent groups before achieving success as the singer and guitarist with the Hamburg band Die Braut haut ins Auge. In 2002 she released her first solo album Der beste Augenblick in deinem Leben, followed by La Beat (2005) and Machinette (2008). As well as her musical work, which primarily comprises co-productions with other artists, La Hengst is also involved in many radio play, theatre and art projects. All these projects then have an influence on her music, making her a multi-functional “development artist” in various combinations who is constantly reinventing herself. In 2010 she was involved in the German-Turkish theatre production Cabinet in the Freiburg Theatre and produced Deutschlandmärchen in the Sophiensälen in Berlin. She is currently directing the music and songs for the theatrical production Planet der Frauen - Eine Kampfoperette, (Planet of Women – a Combat Opera), which premièred in the Freibrug Theatre on 23 March 2012. La Hengst, known for her political, feminist and personal lyrics, in which she scrutinises current gender relations, etc., is involved in Sistars, a coaching project for girl bands.
In 2003 La Hengst was awarded the Female Artists‘ Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

Max Prosa has been called the new German singer-songwriter discovery of the year. His lyrics range between yearning and searching for a sense of purpose with a little rebelliousness. He creates big city poetry in melancholy musical arrangements. Supported by his band, Prosa turns his stories with guitar, piano, drums, cello adn harmonica into fresh pop-rock singer-songwriter folk.
Max Prosa (born in Berlin in 1990) took his school-leaving certificate at 17 and studied first physics and then philosophy, finally devoting himself mainly to music. After supporting Clueso in 2011, he undertook his first solo tour of Germany in February 2012. His debut album Die Phantasie wird siegen was released in January 2012.