READING & TALK: Wildfires, Survival, Community - Picador Guestprofessorship

Join us for an evening with acclaimed US-author Daniel Gumbiner, whose latest novel brings the complexities of wildfire-stricken landscapes to life. Gumbiner will provide a window into the everyday struggles of people rebuilding their lives—family, livelihood, and identity—after the climate crisis has reshaped their world.

Fire in the Canyon is a captivating novel that offers an intimate portrayal of a Californian community grappling with the aftermath of a devastating wildfire. Throughout the novel, Daniel explores the personal, and ever-intensifying reality of living on the edge of ecological disaster.

Gumbiner will share how his work offers a human-centred narrative of survival and recovery, rooted in themes of community, land stewardship, and the quiet, enduring power of hope; his empathetic voice makes this novel an essential presence in any conversation about the experience of environmental change.

This evening will take you beyond the headlines, into the heart of a community bound by fire, loss, and the enduring hope for renewal. Daniel’s storytelling is raw, moving, and unforgettable—an author and novel you can’t afford to miss.

The Picador Guest Professorship is brought to you by Uni Leipzig, American Studies Leipzig, DAAD and Holtzbrinck Berlin. This Event is in cooperation with EDIT Magazine.

Admission free! Save your ticket soon!

Host or Publisher Picador Guest Professorship for Literature