If I Had Wings

Corinna Chaumeny, Elke Ehniger, Nina Dobrot & Sarah Knausenberger
If I Had Wings
Book design Mara Burmester

A dialogue between artists

A couple of cormorants spread their wings as they perch on a bridge over a lake as if glued to it. Why are they sitting there? Is it possible they can’t really fly? Are they cheats or hypocrites?

Freedom and longing are the two main themes explored by Nina Dubrot and Sarah Knausenberger in this poetic volume. What is the secret of freedom, and what is its price? Why do some birds make carefree use of their wings, while others stay in the safety of their nest? What does it mean for us and for others if we beat our wings and fly up and away?

In these poems and short prose pieces, the two authors tell stories of daring and fear, autonomy and responsibility, love and loss. Tales of swimming and flying away – and the writers’ many experiences.

The pieces in this book arose from the dialogue between the four artists. Sometimes it was the illustrators Corinne Chaumeny and Elke Ehninger who inspired the two authors to write a text, sometimes it was the text that led to a picture. The result is a varied volume in which verbal images and collages complement one another beautifully.

The recurring motif of wings underscores the idea of floating and delicate colour compositions bring out the sentimental dimension, while a sense of humour is expressed in multi-layered and occasionally quirky pictorial arrangements. Mara Burmester’s book design combines collages and text into a dynamic whole.

Maybe, just maybe, this is where the greatest freedom is to be found — on the wings of language and art.

Look inside