Lázár: An Evening with Nelio Biedermann and Daniel Kehlmann

Deutsches Haus at NYU and present a reading by Nelio Biedermann from his book Lázár (S&S/Summit Books, 2026, translated from German by Jamie Bulloch), followed by a conversation between him and the acclaimed author Daniel Kehlmann. Lázár chronicles the rise and fall of an aristocratic Hungarian family across multiple generations and through historical upheavals. The conversation between Nelio Biedermann and Daniel Kehlmann will focus on the international success of this gothic intergenerational family saga, and examine how the author managed to encompass both a deep historical awareness and a palpable timely resonance.

McNally Jackson will sell copies of the book during and after the event, and there will be a book signing following the program.

About Lázár:

At the turn of the 20th century, the Lázárs welcome their newest member in their rural summer estate, surrounded by a menacingly dark, enchanting forest. Lajos von Lázár is a baby boy with translucent skin and light-blue eyes who looks nothing like the rest of his family. Sándor, the imposing patriarch, is ashamed of his son’s peculiarity. Ilona finds her baby brother quite ugly. Mária is terrified that her son’s uncanny resemblance to the stagehand who died a couple weeks earlier might spell disaster. While Imre, Sándor’s brother whose otherworldly foresight is often confused for insanity, is struck by visions of a great catastrophe.

Lajos’s birth is emblematic of the many secrets, affairs, and peculiar otherworldly happenings that plague the Lázárs. As the decades go by, they will continue to fall prey to their desires, leading grand lives, and experiencing even greater tragedies as they’re swept by the tides of war and revolution that befall their country. But time and again, in the lighter years, extraordinary love and hope shine through. Masterfully written and deeply haunting, Lázár is a magisterial novel that presents the sweeping history of a nation through the lives of one extraordinary family.

About the speakers:

Nelio Biedermann, born in 2003, is the author of Anton will bleiben and Lázár. Originally published in Germany, Lázár is an international sensation and was an instant bestseller. It won the 2025 Favourite Book of Independent Booksellers award and is being translated into more than twenty-five languages. A native of Zurich, Biedermann is studying German literature and film at the University of Zurich.

Daniel Kehlmann was born in Munich in 1975. His novels and plays have won numerous prizes, including the Candide Prize, the Doderer Prize, the Kleist Prize, the Welt Literature Prize, and the Thomas Mann Prize. His novel Tyll was shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize, and Measuring the World has been translated into more than forty languages and is one of the biggest successes in post-war German literature. His novel The Director was longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize. He currently lives in Berlin and New York.

Attendance:

While NYU has ended COVID-19 related restrictions and policies, we continue to remind and recommend to members of the NYU community that they stay up-to-date on their boosters and stay home if they feel sick. Masks are always welcome.

Accessibility:

The first floor of Deutsches Haus at NYU, where our auditorium is located and where a majority of our events take place, can be made wheelchair accessible through the use of our ramp. If you would like for a Deutsches Haus staff member to set up this ramp for you, please call our Front Desk at +1 212-998-8660 upon your arrival. For any other accessibility-related questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or call us at +1 212-998-8660.

Lázár: An Evening with Nelio Biedermann and Daniel Kehlmann is funded by the DAAD from funds of the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). Additional support and thanks goes to Josefine Kals of Summit Books for all of her organisational support.

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