"What Is Still Customary at My Age?" (German Premiere)

Reading and moderated discussion - German premiere

"I'm with Marie," Erika's husband announces on the last evening of an Italian vacation - precisely when she was about to suggest opening their marriage. Erika has missed sex and intimacy for years, and instead of new possibilities, she learns that her husband has long been getting all of that from a woman 15 years younger. A world collapses - but only briefly. Soon questions dominate: what options does a woman over 60 have after a long marriage? Is her desire for passion and closeness at this age really something to worry about?

Wencke Mühleisen tells Erika's story with nuance and clear language about sex and desire in the second half of life - language that refuses to settle for "what is still customary." Mareike Fallwickl judges: "Wencke Mühleisen writes clearly, without flourish and intelligently, with empathy for her protagonist. Warm-hearted, witty, and highly worth reading."

Wencke Mühleisen, born in 1953, has a Norwegian mother and a Slovenian-Austrian father. With this novel, she continues her examination of female self-determination in advanced age following "Everything I Was Afraid Of Has Already Happened." In her youth, she worked as a performance artist and was part of Otto Mühl's commune for nearly a decade - she left and contributed to the criminal prosecution of the cult guru. On the occasion of the 2025 Leipzig Book Fair, an FAZ podcast with her was released on taboo subjects such as sexuality in old age.