When does the event take place?

The event takes place on Sunday, November 22, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Where does Crime Scene Alps take place?

The evening takes place at the Volkshochschule Hofer Land e.V. in Ludwigstraße 7, 95028 Hof.

Which authors are reading?

Leonhard F. Seidl reads Fate Mountain Watzmann, Roland Spranger presents Male Friendship from the anthology Crime Scene Alps.

What music can the audience expect?

Gerhard Plietsch and Hannes Buchta will shape the evening with soundtrack and sound art.

Who is participating in the talk?

In the discussion is Michael Gückel, who also publishes science fiction, science thrillers, and fantasy under the name Mikael Lundt.

What does admission cost?

Admission follows the principle of pay what you think it's worth. The audience thus decides on their contribution.

Leonhard F. Seidl reads in Hof 2026

Name: The Dark Side: Crime Scene Alps
Start: 2026-11-22T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-22T20:00:00+01:00
Location: Volkshochschule Hofer Land e.V.

When the Alps Become the Dark Stage of Crime

On November 22, 2026, the Volkshochschule Hofer Land in Hof transforms into a venue of alpine suspense. As part of the reading festival THE DARK SIDE, the event Crime Scene Alps combines literary readings, dark sound art, and a discussion about science thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy.

Criminal Abysses at Watzmann

Leonhard F. Seidl reads from his short crime story Fate Mountain Watzmann. The story was created for the anthology Crime Scene Alps, which gathers eleven crime stories at famous crime scenes in the Bavarian, Austrian, and Swiss Alps. Seidl's text is based on a historical case in the notorious Watzmann East Face and connects alpine nature experience with precise crime narrative.

Seidl is the author of six novels, a mountaineer, and nature writer. Stays in several national parks, living in a remote hut in the Gesäuse National Park, and crossing the Watzmann shape his special closeness to the alpine landscape. For his literary work, he received, among other awards, the Culture Prize from the City of Fürth in 2022.

Male Friendship Under Bad Omens

Roland Spranger presents Male Friendship, a short crime story from the same anthology. Two friends set off on a mountain tour, but the venture is overshadowed from the outset. From apparent camaraderie emerges a psychologically intense narrative about loyalty, risk, and the fragility of human relationships.

Spranger writes novels, plays, and short crime stories. His thriller War Zones was awarded the Friedrich-Glauser Prize for Best Novel in 2013. With Deeply Sharp, he was on the crime bestseller list. His literary work moves between suspense literature, dramatic design, and social observation.

Sound Art for an Alpine Reading Atmosphere

Gerhard Plietsch and Hannes Buchta accompany the evening with soundtrack and sound art. Their musical projects and sessions create an acoustic level that gives space to the texts and intensifies the reading atmosphere. Between voice, silence, and sound, a literary experience emerges that vividly renders the dark sides of the mountain world.

Discussion on Thrillers, Fantasy, and Future Images

In the talk, Michael Gückel discusses his literary work under the name Mikael Lundt. His books combine science thrillers, dark science fiction, and contemplative fantasy. Technology meets mythology, utopia meets dystopia, and the fantastic meets all too real societal questions.

The event opens up a larger cultural discourse: How do fears arise in literature? What significance do mountains have as literary spaces? And how does the perception of reality change when crime novels, sound art, and speculative narrative forms converge?

Conclusion: An Evening Between Summit, Abyss, and Language Art

Visitors can expect an intense encounter with authors featuring exciting short crime stories, striking language art, atmospheric music, and an insightful talk. Those who wish to experience the Alps not only as a landscape but as a literary resonance space will find at The Dark Side: Crime Scene Alps an unusual evening full of suspense and cultural depth.