Philian Merle Wins the City-Wide Reading Contest for 6th Graders

All eight school winners from across the city gave excellent and captivating readings on Monday, February 27, in the hall of the Building Authority at Barfüßertor, whether they were reading their prepared text or the assigned “unknown text.”

There was also a wide variety of talent on display: one participant skillfully brought the various characters to life with a subtle voice; another knew how to effectively highlight the onomatopoeic nature of certain terms; others developed an impressive dramatic structure through calm delivery and sensually intelligent pauses—and there were many other powerful moments as well. In his reading of the text of his choice, Philian Merle created a remarkably vivid scene with strong characterization in the dialogues. That may have been the deciding factor in the jury ultimately awarding him the victory. We’re thrilled for Philian (and his “fans”) and wish him the best of luck in the next round. At the same time, we’d like to thank the organizers from the Haus der Jugend as well as the friendly jury, who put together a wonderful, entertaining event that truly honored the young readers.