A shocking journey into the heart of Germany’s darkness.

DER AUSFLUG
(The Trip)
by Dirk Kurbjuweit
‎ Penguin Germany/PRH Verlagsgruppe, February 2022

Childhood friends Amalia, Josef, Gero and Bodo are on a summer canoeing trip. However, the moment they arrive at their destination it’s clear that they aren’t welcome. Josef in particular, who is black, senses the locals’ discomfort in his presence. They evidently deeply dislike anything that looks remotely foreign. But should the friends let themselves be intimidated by a few backward provincials? Should they simply give in? Amalia, Josef, Gero and Bodo are determined to stay, and from that moment on there’s no turning back. Every step they take leads them closer to the abyss. They all know that this trip won’t end well, but none of them wants to admit it. Soon their summer adventure becomes a desperate effort to get out of this place alive.

Dirk Kurbjuweit, born in 1962, is one of the most versatile and productive authors of our time. Known to a broad readership as a reporter for Zeit and Spiegel, he has been a convincing narrator from an early age. Critics celebrated his works and several of his literary successes served as models for film adaptations and radio play adaptations. His books have been translated into numerous languages.