Does literature have a role in the processing of a collective trauma? If so, what is it? These were the questions asked in a master class by well-known Dutch novelist Arnon Grunberg at Radboud University in Nijmegen.

Mr Grunberg says that literature can help people avoid speaking directly about traumas. “Literature makes it possible to turn a trauma into a theme. You can speak about it without coming too close to it.”

And “coming too close” is one of the most difficult aspects to processing a trauma. As one student put it, “a trauma is a thing you cannot talk about.” But, says Mr Grunberg, reading about a traumatic event might give the necessary distance while also making it accessible and, hopefully, comprehensible.

No world without pain
Some people worry that writing – and reading – about collective traumas like World War II might keep the trauma alive. But, according to Mr Grunberg, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “It’s an illusion to live in a world without pain. In a funny way we need traumas. We need to have a memory of what a trauma really is.”

The students were enthusiastic about the discussion with Mr Grunberg. One student said – even on such a heavy topic – it “was a positive experience, not traumatic at all!”

Dutchman in NYC
Mr Grunberg made his debut as a novelist twenty years ago with the book Blue Mondays. The novel was a worldwide success. Since then, he has written a diverse range of novels and has contributed regularly to newspapers and magazines in Holland. He currently works and lives in New York City.

Radio Netherlands' Maike Winters talked with Mr Grunberg after the masterclass. Listen to an excerpt from the interview here: