The question of position and engagement in art and literature is getting louder today, more and more authors, theater people and cultural workers are grappling with forms and functions of the political in times of social change and global threat. They invent new forms of expression, demand their space in society, stimulate discussion and reflection—and, if necessary, offer resistance.
In what form and with what intentions can aesthetics and engagement be combined in the 21st century, what social functions should literature and art take on, what is the relationship with the traditional claim on the theater to function as a moral institution? Where is the place of the political in literature and art? What is "attitude"? Which spaces of thought and possibilities literature and theater can open up to the political, social and cultural challenges of our time?

The anthology “Ruiniert Euch! – Literatur, Theater, Engagement” (Ruin ​​Yourself!—Literature, Theater, Engagement) deals with these questions in a polyphonic and quite controversial manner, from different perspectives and in different formats. Essays and interviews as well as poetic and artistic interventions by about 40 artists provide impetus for debate: What positions do literature and theater take today, how do they react to the pressing questions of our time, can literature and art change the world—perhaps even for the better.