Authors Discuss Social Impact Through Non-Fiction at Bertelsmann’s Blue Sofa Event

Authors Discuss Social Impact Through Non-Fiction at Bertelsmann’s Blue Sofa Event

(IN BRIEF) Bertelsmann will host the nominees for the 2025 German Non-Fiction Prize on May 13, 2025, on its iconic Blue Sofa in Berlin. Moderated by Shelly Kupferberg and Christine Watty, the event will feature discussions with the nominated authors, who will present their books on topics like technology, societal changes, climate change, and historical perspectives. The event is part of Freedom of Expression Week and aims to highlight the role of nonfiction in shaping public discourse. Notable authors include Ingo Dachwitz, Sven Hilbig, Aladin El-Mafaalani, and others, with books tackling critical issues such as digital colonialism, climate action, and the complexities of growing up in an aging society.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERLIN, 5-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Bertelsmann is set to host the authors nominated for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2025 on the Blue Sofa at its Berlin headquarters on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Starting at 7 pm, the event will feature conversations with moderators Shelly Kupferberg and Christine Watty, where the nominees will discuss their thought-provoking books, addressing crucial societal issues.

The nominated authors and their works to be featured are:

• Ingo Dachwitz & Sven Hilbig, Digitaler Kolonialismus. Wie Tech-Konzerne und Großmächte die Welt unter sich aufteilen (Digital Colonialism. How Tech Corporations and Superpowers Are Dividing the World Among Themselves) (C.H.Beck), February 2025
• Aladin El-Mafaalani, Sebastian Kurtenbach & Klaus Peter Strohmeier, Kinder – Minderheit ohne Schutz. Aufwachsen in der alternden Gesellschaft (Children – An Unprotected Minority. Growing Up in an Ageing Society) (Kiepenheuer & Witsch), January 2025
• Franz-Stefan Gady, Die Rückkehr des Krieges. Warum wir wieder lernen müssen, mit Krieg umzugehen (The Return of War. Why We Must Learn to Deal with War Again) (Quadriga), October 2024
• Ines Geipel, Fabelland. Der Osten, der Westen, der Zorn und das Glück (The East, the West, Anger and Happiness) (S. Fischer), August 2024
• Martina Heßler, Sisyphos im Maschinenraum. Eine Geschichte der Fehlbarkeit von Mensch und Technologie (Sisyphus in the Machine Room. A Tale of the Fallibility of Man and Technology) (C.H.Beck), February 2025
• Walburga Hülk, Victor Hugo. Jahrhundertmensch (Victor Hugo. Man of the Century) (Matthes & Seitz Berlin), November 2024
• Bernhard Kegel, Mit Pflanzen die Welt retten. Grüne Lösungen gegen den Klimawandel (Saving the World with Plants. Green Solutions Against Climate Change) (DuMont), October 2024
• Ulli Lust, Die Frau als Mensch. Am Anfang der Geschichte (Woman as Human. At the Beginning of History) (Reprodukt), February 2025

The German Non-Fiction Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading, honors outstanding nonfiction books that foster social debate. This year’s nominees tackle a variety of significant issues, from technology’s global reach to climate change and societal inequalities.

Karin Schlautmann, Head of Bertelsmann Corporate Communications, said: “Books and Bertelsmann are inseparable. With Penguin Random House in our portfolio, Bertelsmann plays a central role in the global book industry. As we face increasing challenges distinguishing fact from manipulation, reading remains vital. The books nominated for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2025 exemplify this ethos by opening new perspectives and contributing meaningfully to public discourse.”

The event is part of Freedom of Expression Week, aimed at promoting open dialogue. Deutschlandfunk Kultur is the media partner and will broadcast a shortened version of the talks, with the full video available online.

Event Details:

• Date: May 13, 2025
• Time: 7 pm
• Location: Bertelsmann Headquarters, Berlin

Admission: Free (Register online)

About the Blue Sofa
The Blue Sofa is one of the longest-running and most successful literary formats in the German-speaking world. Since it was founded in 2000, more than 3,100 authors have taken a seat here to present their new books at book fairs and beyond. In recent years, the format has been jointly organized by Bertelsmann, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and 3sat; since 2023, Bertelsmann has continued The Blue Sofa with a new concept under its sole responsibility. The most prominent guests to date have included Nobel Prize winners Svetlana Alexievich, Mikhail Gorbachev, Günter Grass, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Herta Müller, Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, Orhan Pamuk, Joseph Stiglitz, Olga Tokarczuk, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Mo Yan. www.das-blaue-sofa.de/en 

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company with about 75,000 employees that operates in some 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company generated revenues of €19 billion in the 2024 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.

Media Contact:

Mandy Berghoff
Communications Content Team
Tel.: +49 5241 80-78063
mandy.berghoff@bertelsmann.de

SOURCE: Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA