Nela Haeberle has once again won over the hearts of the judges

Nela Haeberle from Class 6c has advanced to the next round of the reading competition once again. After winning the Marburg city round in February, she has now also won the district round of the reading competition, which was held at the Giessen City Library. On May 24, Nela will compete in the state finals at the Sparda-Bank in Frankfurt. There, she will face Sophie-Charlotte Richter from the Herderschule in Giessen for the second time. Nela shares the top spot she earned in Giessen with Sophie-Charlotte; first place was awarded twice.
Nine participants appeared before the five-member jury in Giessen, in alphabetical order. The jury consisted of Prof. Dr. Sascha Feuchert (Institute of German Studies at Justus Liebig University in Giessen), Manuela Gries (deputy library director of the Giessen City Library), Anna-Lena Heid (Program Director of the Literary Center in Giessen), Dr. Ira Kasperowski (Deputy Director of the Giessen University Library), and Ralph Kohlheyer (Managing Director of Rickersche Universitätsbuchhandlung).
The judges evaluated reading technique and interpretation, as well as the contestant’s choice of book. Nela Haeberle had chosen the book *Hexendämmerung* by Magnolia Steel. Afterward, she had to read a text by another author.
The Steinmühle student handled her performance with poise and confidence, though she doesn’t hide the fact that “…you’re always pretty nervous beforehand.” After all, she says, it’s all about conveying the right atmosphere, speaking clearly, and maintaining the right reading pace.
Steinmühle, led by German teacher Lisa Braun, is keeping its fingers crossed for Nela as she moves on to the next stage of the competition in Frankfurt. The reading competition is organized by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.