Alexandra Koch studied Language Arts and Scenic Writing at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and the Berlin University of the Arts. She writes drama, prose and radio plays for young and adult audiences and has received several scholarships and prizes for her work, including the City of Vienna Literature Scholarship, two Mira Lobe Scholarships for Children’s and Youth Literature and the City of Vienna Playwriting Scholarship, and was also nominated for the Retzhofer Drama Prize. Some of her texts have been performed on stage and published in literary journals. She is currently studying for a Master’s degree at the Institute for Language Arts at the University of Applied Arts.
As part of the Tour of the Text 2022, Alexandra Koch wrote the theatre play “NISTEN”.
The text deals with the topic of surrogacy from different perspectives: that of the surrogate mothers in a precarious situation, the surrogate parents and the agencies. The stories are embedded in a fairytale world that reflects the power structures of this trade. Of the various storylines, the excerpt shows that of two sisters. The older one has asked the younger one to carry her child.
Alexandra Koch takes part in the EU Project Fabulamundi. Playwriting Europe. New Voices and is part of the FAB-Community.
“NISTEN” is available in our Edition Goldstück.
Photo credits: Katarina Hartmann