Book presentation in German with Jutta Speidel: Amaryllis

About the book
“Amaryllis” tells the moving story of Valerie, who grows up in a slightly bohemian family environment and dreams of becoming famous as a great performer and female clown in the male-dominated world of the circus. She meets the love of her life, Lorenzo, and goes with him to the renowned Dimitri Circus School. Both want to become clowns, and their training has a profound effect on them. He makes his breakthrough into the pantheon of the circus world, whilst she always stands by his side as his choreographer, manager and muse. They love and respect one another; their life is joyful and fulfilling. Nevertheless, Valerie repeatedly feels a certain sense of oppression and sadness in the face of her role behind the curtain. In a moment of weakness, Lorenzo persuades her to perform in his place at the grand circus festival in Monte Carlo, with serious consequences.

About the author
For five decades, Jutta Speidel has been an integral part of television, the cinema and the theatre stage. From her early days, “Drei sind einer zuviel” and “Fleisch” are regarded as cult films. She can now look back on a career spanning over 250 films, some of which have won awards. She has demonstrated her versatility as a character actress on various major German stages. Jutta Speidel’s repertoire spans all genres; she can simply play any role. Since 1997, her social commitment to the charity she founded, “Horizont e. V.”, has been her second main focus. She has also received numerous awards for this work, including the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon, the Bavarian Order of Merit, the Bavarian Order of the Constitution and many others. Jutta Speidel is an honorary citizen of her home city of Munich, where she also lives. She has two adult daughters and two grandchildren. She has already written four highly successful non-fiction books – two of which were on the Spiegel bestseller list – as well as a gift book and numerous audiobooks. ‘Amaryllis’ is her first novel.