Transnationalism in Contemporary German-Language Novels

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of recent novels in German that engage directly or indirectly with transnationalism. The case is made that transnationalism is a key theme in writing by not only minority but also nonminority authors, and the chapter explores key similarities and differences in how writers of different backgrounds approach transnationalism as not only an opportunity but also a source of anxiety. The chapter presents four broad categories of contemporary engagement with transnationalism: lived transnationalism, the literary archive of transnational trauma, global opportunities and anxieties, and “worlding a world.”