Clara Cosima Wolff is set to assume the role of city planner in the year 2026.
Dortmund Welcomes New City Poet: Clara Cosima Wolff
Dortmund is set to welcome a new literary talent as Clara Cosima Wolff takes up the role of City Poet for 2026. The announcement was made earlier this year, and Wolff is eager to immerse herself in the local literary scene and explore the city's urban spaces.
Born in Hagen, Wolff will be living and writing in Dortmund for half a year, starting from May 2026. She was chosen for the prestigious position due to her unique blend of lyrical language and academic reflection on urban spaces.
The jury, which consisted of Council member Silvya Ixkes-Henkemeier, Dr. Artur Nickel, Henrik Szántó, Emily Grunert, Arnold Maxwill, Dr. Sibylle Klemm, Hartmut Salmen, Jörg Stüdemann, and Isabel Pfarre, was impressed by Wolff's plan to engage with urban spaces and her personal perspective on them, aiming to touch upon the region's transformation processes.
Wolff has a strong academic background, having studied psychology (Master's) in Vienna and Osnabrück, followed by literary writing in Hildesheim. She is also part of the literary collective 'lyrika' and has won several awards, including the Klopstock Prize 2023, the Hannover Authors Conference, and was a finalist for Open Mike 2022, Preis der Gruppe 48, and Vaclav Burian Award.
During her tenure as Dortmund's City Poet, Wolff plans to write a long poem as a literary experiment in urban space. She intends to grasp urban density, understand ambivalences, and reflect on these topics through her literary work. The poem will explore the Ruhr region, starting from Hagen and moving through cities in the area, with Dortmund as the central focus.
The City Poet scholarship of the city of Dortmund has been awarded annually since 2020, focusing on transformation processes in Dortmund in its content. Ika Sperling, the first comic artist to receive the scholarship, will be concluding her tenure by October.
During the scholarship period, the scholars work closely with the culture office, the literature house Dortmund, and other institutions of the regional literary scene, engage in the city society, and network with local literary actors.
Wolff is looking forward to encountering the local literary scene, getting to know familiar corners, and having research time and writing peace in Dortmund. She is excited about the opportunity to delve deeper into the urban landscape of the city and share her insights through her poetry and essays.
