Navid Kermani (Siegen, Germany, November 27, 1967) is one of the most influential writers, essayists, and orientalists in Europe, son of Iranian immigrants and a key figure in the dialogue between Western and Islamic cultures. PhD in Islamic Studies, he studied Philosophy and Theatre Studies in Cologne, Cairo, and Bonn, and has taught and lectured at international universities. His work deeply explores themes such as Islam, spirituality, European identity, and intercultural coexistence, always from a humanistic, critical, and reflective perspective. A regular contributor to prominent media such as Die Zeit, Spiegel, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he currently resides in Cologne.
Awarded with prestigious prizes such as the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (2015), the Kleist Prize, the Joseph Breitbach Prize, the Hannah Arendt Prize, and the Thomas Mann Prize (2024), Kermani is considered a bridge between East and West for his intellectual rigor and literary ability. Among his most recognized works are Gott ist schön (God is Beautiful), Zwischen Koran und Kafka (Between the Quran and Kafka), Einbruch der Wirklichkeit, and Between Us Fear (Entlang den Gräben), books in which he merges scholarship, politics, and narrative sensitivity, offering a committed perspective on the understanding between peoples and religions.
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