ABOUT US

DORIS LERCHE
Direction and Management

Foto: Renate Schlicht
Foto: Renate Schlicht

Doris Lerche became known with her cartoons "Du streichelst mich nie!“ in 1980. She was one of the three first satiric graphic artists in Germany. Moreover she has published short stories, novels and lyric. Since 1986,  she  holds performances on stage reading her own literary works accompanied by a live music performance.

 

1985 she founded the "Romanfabrik" in Frankfurt together with other writers and artists. She was primarily responsible for the structure of Romanfabrik as well as for the seletcion of its programs.

 

www.dorislerche.de

 

 

CLAUDIA GEHRICKE
Direction and Management

Claudia Gehricke (Dipl.-Übersetzerin, certified translator) MA in Applied Linguistics (English/Spanish), Comparative Literature and Psychology.
Claudia Gehricke, in addition to working as a full-time translator at a bank in Frankfurt, is particularly committed to promoting the intercultural dialogue with readers and writers of contemporary literature from Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Spain and Latin America. Since 2010, she has managed the literary circle of Literaturhaus Frankfurt e. V. and the “club de lectura” of “Puerta del Sol e. V.”, the association of Bolivians in Frankfurt. Her activities include the presentation and dissemination of contemporary literature of Bolivia, which is practically unknown in Germany. She also supports various cultural projects, such as the intensification of the cooperation of Alondra Institute with the Fundación Tres Culturas in Sevilla as well as local literary agents and institutions.

 

PETER RIPKEN

Peter Ripken (*1942 in Bielsko-Biala/Poland) worked on development cooperation projects in Africa and as a journalist following studies of social sciences and literature. He was a co-founder of the Anti-Apartheid Movement. From 1973 to 1975 he was manager of the Information Office for Southern Africa (Issa) which he stills chairs today. From 1984 to 1986, he worked for the editorial section of Deutsche Welle for Africa.
 
Until 2007 he was Director of the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Literatur aus Afrika, Asien und Lateinamerika e.V., Frankfurt, a globally unique literary agency. From 2003 to 2009, he was Programme Director of the International Centre at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
 
Peter Ripken published a number of contributions to magazines and books, in particular on Africa. Until 2016 he was the Chairman of the International Cities of Refuge Network ICORN which he co-founded in 2006. He supports the “Frankfurt City of Refuge“ programme.

 

 

SHIVA  KAMBARI
Adviser

Dr. Shiva Kambari is a manager and project consultant. She studied philosophy, while majoring in „International Relations“ with a specialized focus on „Building Confidence“. Creating confidence and building bridges are major components of her versatile activities in international trade and management, including social activism and commitment to peace, national development and cooperation .

She initiated and co-organized the "Global Seminar on Fiction and Dialogue among cultures", the first international meeting of authors in Iran which took place in 2002 on Kish island in the Persian Gulf. There she met Doris Lerche, with whom she has been in close contact ever since. Shiva Kambari supports „Alondra Institute“ as an advisor.

 

 

HARRY OBERLÄNDER

Adviser 















MICHAEL VANDER
Adviser

Michael Vander (*1960 at Essen). Over the course of his profesional career as a qualified banker, he has worked for several German and international leasing companies. He studied International Marketing at the British Institute CIM. Today he is a member of the Leasing Research Institute at the University of Cologne and a member of the ESMT-Alumni Association. Since January 2009, he has worked as a freelance consultant of companies, manufacturers and financial services providers.

At the beginning of 2012 he first became familiar with Alondra Institute and since then a prolific copperation has developed. With his commercial experience and network contacts he supports Alondra Institute in the pursuit of its goals as an advisor.

 

 

 

YESSIKA ECKERT-ARCE
Translations