Dr. Costabile-Heming has been awarded two fellowships to support her travel to Germany this summer to complete the research for her book on contemporary German author, Friedrich Christian Delius. Delius is the recipient of 17 prestigious literary prizes, and his texts have been translated into 18 languages. Costabile-Heming has been researching him since 2000 when she first met him in Berlin. She has been focusing on him intently since 2013 when she received permission to access his literary estate in the German Literature Archive in Marbach.

I asked Dr. Costabile-Heming what inspired her to write the book on Friedrich Christian Delius.

"He began his literary career at age 20, and he has written about topics of German history that impact how Germany views itself. Most of his texts deal with contemporary events, and they are things that I remember even from childhood (such as Vietnam War protesters) and that had an impact on my life and my career (such as the unification of Germany). So, the timeframe within his texts spans my lifetime, which I find quite fascinating. When I read his texts, I also think about my memories and my experiences."

Dr. Costabile-Heming was awarded a one month fellowship from the German Literary Archive in Marbach, Germany and a 2-month research stay from the German Academic Exchange Service.