Lana Lux on Writing, Identity, and the Power of Silence

In an interview with Sleek magazine, Berlin-based author Lana Lux discusses her artistic name, her writing process, and the themes that permeate her three novels, including her latest, 'Geordnete Verhältnisse'. Born in Dnipro, Ukraine, and raised in Germany, Lux adopted the pen name 'Lana Lux' as a form of protection against discrimination and to avoid being pigeonholed by her complex biography. She explains that the name has evolved to represent her true self, struggling with creativity and motivation like anyone else. Lux describes writing as 'almost a bodily function,' a way to understand herself and combat loneliness, and she emphasizes the importance of what remains unspoken in families and how absence shapes us. Her work explores migration, poverty, obsession, mental health, and femicide, often beginning with a persistent voice or image rather than a conscious theme. She admits that the writing process is 'suffering,' but she persists because not writing is worse. Lux also touches on the reader's role as co-creator, the concept of books as mirrors and windows, and her current project about a woman who discovers she can lucid dream, with the dream world threatening her real life. The interview is featured in SLEEK #89 – PLAY.