Herta Muller, winner of the 2009 Nobel prize in literature, signed books on Friday May 4th as part of the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. The event itself featured a reading from Muller's newly translated book (originally published in 2009 in Germany), The Hunger Angel (Metropolitan Books, NY 2012) delivered by the book's English translator, Philip Boehm. Muller was interviewed by Claire Messud. Messud's scattered and unprepared line of questioning was exacerbated by the labored mediation of a translater (Muller does not speak English). This all made for slow going, though Muller's responses were occassionally fascinating. The organizers collected questions from the audience, but Muller and the translating process was so long-winded that they only got to one of them! Muller didn't look up during the signing, her grim expression perhaps reflecting the long line of autograph hounds.
Mullers' rather bold and attractive signature is seen below. The signature below hers is the translator Boehm's.
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