Between languages and worlds: migration literature in the german-speaking world

Abstract

This article explores contemporary German-speaking migration literature as a dynamic field shaped by cultural, linguistic, and identity transformations. It reassesses the concept of Migrationsliteratur, emphasizing its shift toward postmigrant literature and the transition from narratives of external arrival to the internalization of cultural difference. Instead of strictly thematic categories, migration literature is considered a writing practice of hybrid experiences. Beyond identity and memory, this literature focuses on language as a core site of migrant experience, where meanings and affiliations are negotiated. Its hybrid and reflexive characteristics subvert ideas of national homogeneity and rework concepts of identity, culture, and language. The academic recognition of this field is evidenced by works such as Interkulturelle Literatur in der Bundesrepublik. Ein Metzler-Lexikon, confirming intercultural literature as an established area of scholarship in Germany. In the context of globalization, monocultural paradigms are no longer sufficient, while intercultural literature has become a major direction of contemporary literary production