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Isabella Straub

Isabella Straub – Austrian novelist

The story so far: Isabella Straub was born in Vienna and studied German and philosophy. For many years a journalist working for both newspapers and magazines, she then turned her hand to copywriting with a focus on health and tourism, then work as a press officer, and as a lecturer in creative writing, leading creative writing workshops at schools and universities, and writing workshops for businesses, organisations and editorial offices in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Isabella Straub is an alumnus of the Leondinger Literature Academy. Her works include numerous short stories, poetry, and three novels: Südbalkon, Das Fest des Windrads ('Windmill Fair'), and Wer Hier Schlief ('Who Slept Here'). The Writer in Residence for the city of Erfurt, Germany, in 2023, she is currently Writer in Residence in Hamburg.

isabellastraub.at

schreiben@isabellastraub.at

Keep out of it!

That’s three.

Ground yourself in the groundless.

He sat down in the armchair, leaned Adam against the bed frame, took out his mobile. He would take care of the pills later. He called Myriam.

She was probably trying to call him at that very moment. It wouldn’t have been the first time it had happened.

He wrote a text: All sorted. No problems. Aways thinking of you.

He only noticed that the “l” was missing after it was too late. When she still hadn’t answered a minute later, he started to worry that the slip had annoyed her, but he didn’t send a second message for fear of confusing matters further.

A woman approached him. He suppressed the urge to jump to his feet.

Everything depends on the first sentence. Greta leaned back against the headrest. The train raced and rumbled urgently onward – firssst sssen-tence, firssst sssen-tence, firssst sssen-tence. The window projected an aura of stickiness inside and out, and if she had the choice she wouldn’t have touched a thing on this train, not the armrest, not her seat’s questionably-stained upholstery, not the greasy handle on the compartment’s sliding door.

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