Dear All, 

The final sprint has begun: only five days left until our Call for Papers closes! If you have not yet done so, start writing now, plan panels with colleagues, renew your IFTR membership... 
Please do not hesitate to ask us any last questions at this email address: iftr-orga@uni-koeln.de. This is also where you can contact us about any special events (book launches, performances, etc.). One thing can already be revealed: the IFTR will welcome a new format this year, the so-called Forum for Discussion (F4D). More to follow soon!

FOW: Feeling torn between the memory of painful events and the hope of a fresh start is something we can all relate to - especially in times of transition and as a sense of normalcy returns after ecstatic shared celebrations and moments. Our "Fool of the Week" can relate - trapped between the laughter of the stage and the tragedy of his own life, the Bajazzo embodies the timeless struggle of hiding pain behind humor. This theme goes beyond the opera. The duality of the broken clown, telling his story through music, certainly did not arise with Lady Gaga in The Joker. Yet it reminds us that we can connect to deeper truths and still laugh through our challenges - not just today, but also in 1930 when Hein Heckroth's graphic was created, likely for years before. (Janne Bierwirth)

CC: How nice it would have been to live in Cologne many, many years ago and see how the city worked its wonders. More specifically, the "Heinzelmännchen", the good spirits of the city's houses, who came out at night and did the work that had been left behind. They belong to the group of sprites who live in harmony with people, such as the Hawaiian "Menehune", the Scandinavian "Nisser", the English "Brownies" or the Neapolitan "Monaciello". This little monk brings good fortune to any house whose waterways he tends, just like the "Heinzelmännchen": without their help, the city would never have flourished as it did in the 19th century! Unfortunately, human curiosity in the form of trip hazard peas has broken the bond between the city and its little tumbling helpers. But perhaps small offerings will encourage the Heinzels to revive the wonderful realm of possibilities our city still offers...
Alaaf - meaning as much as au fou de partout, to fools everywhere, we greet you!

Anna-Lu Rausch
for the Cologne Team