The Samuel Fischer Visiting Professorship for Literature was established on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Gerd Mattenklott at the beginning of the summer term 1998. It is funded by S. Fischer publishers, Freie Universität Berlin, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Veranstaltungsforum Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Each semester an author is invited to teach at the Peter Szondi Institute of Comparative Literature supervised by Prof. Dr. Claudia Olk. In addition to a seminar at the Freie Universität Berlin public readings and events with the guest professors are organized in Berlin and other German cities.