Author Reading (in German!): Halbe Portion by Elisabeth Pape

Berlin-based author Elisabeth Pape will read from her German debut novel Halbe Portion. This is her first reading in Austria, so come join!

In Halbe Portion Elisabeth Pape tells a very personal story about Eating disorders, growing up in poverty and the constraints that come with it. The novel shows why it is so difficult for those affected to break with learned structures and find a healthy way to deal with food and money. And he explores the question of how family supports us but also crushes us. A touching debut about a merciless illness and its tragicomic moments.

Elisabeth Pape, born in 1995, the daughter of a Ukrainian migrant, studied theater and literature at the Free University of Berlin and then dramatic writing at the Berlin University of the Arts. She was awarded the Kleist Prize 2023 for her play “Extra Zero,” which premiered at the Staatstheater Augsburg and is currently being translated into English for presentation in June 2026 during the Pink Pavilion Festival in Copenhagen. Her plays are represented by Rowohlt Theaterverlag and have been performed at numerous theaters in Germany. Her debut novel “Halbe Portion” was published by Suhrkamp Verlag in October 2025. In addition to her work as an author, she also regularly leads writing workshops for different target groups.

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In Half Portion, Elisabeth Pape tells a very personal story about eating disorders, growing up in poverty, and the constraints that come with it. The novel shows why it is so difficult for those affected to break with learned structures and find a healthy way of dealing with food and money. And it explores the question of how family supports us, but also overwhelms us. A touching debut about a relentless illness and its tragicomic moments.

Elisabeth Pape, born in 1995, daughter of a Ukrainian migrant, studied theater and literature at the Free University of Berlin and then dramatic writing at the Berlin University of the Arts. She was awarded the Kleist Prize in 2023 for her play “Extra Zero,” which premiered at the Augsburg State Theater and is currently being translated into English for presentation at the Pink Pavilion Festival in Copenhagen in June 2026. Her plays are represented by Rowohlt Theaterverlag and have been performed at numerous theaters in Germany. Her debut novel “Halbe Portion” was published in October 2025 by Suhrkamp Verlag. In addition to her work as an author, she also regularly leads writing workshops for various target groups.