How long is “never again”?

Reading with Doris Büchel:
"How Long Is Never Again"

How do we talk about dying – and how about life? In her much-acclaimed memoir «Wie lange ist nie mehr», Doris Büchel takes this question as a starting point for an intense yet life-affirming exploration of human finitude. The book is praised for its clarity, sensitivity and uncompromising authenticity.

The memoir centres on the unnamed first-person narrator, who grapples with life and its inevitable end. In doing so, Doris Büchel weaves her own experiences together with encounters with people in their final phase of life. She captures their wishes, hopes and memories in the form of letters. The result is a multi-layered web of fragments that moves, inspires and resonates.

In her reading, Doris Büchel opens up the space for a personal and immediate encounter with topics that are often avoided – and shows how much lightness they contain. She reads passages from the book, tells of the people she visited as a practitioner of person-centred therapy and shares insights into her own thoughts and emotional world. In doing so, she achieves a rare interplay of depth and gentle humour.

In the subsequent discussion with the audience, an open, respectful exchange emerges. Questions and personal thoughts are welcome – without taboos, but with plenty of humanity and warmth. Thus, the evening becomes more than just a reading. It becomes an encounter that resonates long after.