WIENerWARTEN (VIENNese WAITING)

Nima Maleki, Sophie Uitz

Book project, reading, discussion

Maintain hope, perseverance and patience: Everyday, migrants spend many hours in the waiting rooms of the immigration authorities. WIENerWARTEN handles the experiences in the and with the waiting in a book that will be available for reading in various waiting rooms of the city. 

Which legal and bureaucratic, intentional and unintentional challenges have to be faced in order to immigrate to Austria or be able to stay here? What types of experiences do people make when they migrate to Vienna? Those that have ever had anything to do with the Magistrate Department Number 35 (responsible for immigration, citizenship and civil registry office) understand the fundamental requirement to receive a residency permit or attain citizenship: Being able to wait.

Within the scope of the WIENWOCHE project WIENerWARTEN, a book was written with contributions of authors that have migrated to Austria themselves, Olja Alvir, Dimitré Dinev and Yasmin Hafedh a.k.a. Yasmo, as well as a short introduction by Julya Rabinowich. The images and illustrations come from the artists, Miriam Salzer, Lisbeth Kovačič and Anja Bachl. In addition to biographical and fictitious short stories, the publication also contains interviews with people that are currently undergoing the immigration process to Austria.
The book publications tell of sitting in the overfilled waiting rooms, of the uncertainty and fears during the waiting, of material need, boredom and helplessness. They explore the factual and felt sides of the "Migration Ordeal", unveiling both humorous things as well as things that are absurd and scandalous. Last but not least, they describe the character of the city – while waiting and awaiting.

The anthology is available within some of Vienna's waiting rooms to take for free – for all that want to shorten their waiting time. At the event, "Migration in the Waiting Room", the publication will be presented to the public and discussed.

 

Book details
WIENerWARTEN ("VIENNese WAITING")
Published by Nima Maleki and Sophie Uitz.
With a short introduction by Julya Rabinowich and articles by Olja Alvir, Dimitré Dinev, Yasmin Hafedh a.k.a. Yasmo, Peter Marhold and Rada Živadinović
Photos: Lisbeth Kovačič. Illustrations: Anja Bachl.
Cover: Miriam Salzer. Layout: Felicitas Grabner.

 

In cooperation with the Vienna City Library.