Hermes Baby is a group of authors, organised as an agency, which aims at promoting narrative journalism and documentaries and true stories in the sense of creative non-fiction in the German-speaking area. Members not only contribute much-noticed articles to news media such as DIE ZEIT, SZ-Magazin, Süddeutsche Zeitung etc. on a regular basis, but they also experiment with new narrative styles using literature, art, performance, music, film, photography and all other cultural and representative techniques. Together with artists and other people, they search for new forms of creative expression.

Gabriel Proedl for Hermes Baby

Who are you?

We are an agency for narrators whose journalistic works are published in the most important German-language media. Additionally, we bring them to theatre stages, exhibitions and concerts.

Since when has Hermes Baby been a part of Q21/MQ?

Since October 2021.

What exactly does Hermes Baby do?

We are convinced: Our research and texts are not only made for double pages in Die Zeit or a lengthy reportage in Der Spiegel. Together we move further and transform our stories into integrated experiences.

How do you tell a good story?

Storytelling is an ancient cultural technique and, to some extent, it still follows the same patterns. We take these patterns, scrutinise dramaturgical schemes and think a step further.
 

And why do we actually need stories?

The historian Yuval Harari once told Zeit newspaper: ‘People think in stories. If you don’t give them a great story about mankind, they will stick to the old ones.’ Telling stories is fundamentally human.

What can words achieve, as opposed to images?

Anything interpersonal which cannot be visualised by mere description. Dialogues, but also scents, emotions, the hesitation felt in a voice.

What do you miss in today’s journalism?

The courage to challenge readers. Everything is simplified and broken down, which leads to people becoming stereotypes of people. We at Hermes Baby are convinced that a profound narrative can be as contradicting as life itself – and that readers want to participate. In a reportage, a person must never just serve the illustration of a problem. They must be perceived as a person.

What else can we expect from Hermes Baby at Q21/MQ?

Since our foundation, we had been looking for a place where we can gather, exchange and meet other creatives. At Q21/MQ, we have arrived. Together with our head office in Hamburg, Vienna will be a centre for Hermes Baby’s narrative journalism.

Events / December 2021

In the coming months, Hermes Baby will collaborate with one of the biggest photo agencies in Europe. This collaboration will be celebrated, among other places, at MuseumsQuartier. Look out for social media announcements.