Interview with the dedicated author and editor

"The 'old hands' have experienced, overcome, and moved much that can give us readers courage and, especially in these challenging times, provide stability and hope. This little book does not claim to have all the answers to the great questions of our time. Rather, it focuses attention on what holds us together at our core: humanity. It is an encounter at eye level." Anna Marguerita Schön, editor of the book "Wir alten Hasen – Mut in bewegten Zeiten" – with contributions from ten inspiring personalities such as Konstantin Wecker, Michaela May, Willy Astor, and others – wants to give readers hope and confidence: "We are not leaves in the wind; we actively shape this world. Each of us can choose every single day and at any time what kind of person they want to be and spread joy of life."

For the book project you edited, "Wir alten Hasen – Mut in bewegten Zeiten," you invited ten inspiring personalities to encourage readers with personal texts. Who participated in this passion project, and what motivated your selection?

Anna Marguerita Schön: I had the opportunity to get to know some of the participants through previous collaborations, such as Konstantin Wecker and Gerald Hüther. The interviews and conversations I had with them at the time deeply moved me and personally enriched my daily life. The ten participating authors are: Willy Astor, Michaela May, Konstantin Wecker, Nomi Baumgartl, Heribert Prantl, Gerald Hüther, Anne Devillard, Tilman Spengler, Isolde Ohlbaum, and Rainer Maria Schießler. I have followed all of their work for a long time and appreciate it immensely. Due to the diverse nature, ten very different contributions were created.

We live in a time when wars, crises, and bad news of all kinds dominate the headlines and provoke fears about the future. Why can the experience and knowledge of the participating authors provide stability and comfort here?

Anna Marguerita Schön: To state one thing upfront: The term "old hand" is in no way equated with the attribute "all-knowing" by the participants. And yet, they have experienced, overcome, and moved much that can give us readers courage and, especially in these challenging times, provide stability and hope. This little book does not claim to have all the answers to the great questions of our time. Rather, it focuses attention on what holds us together at our core: humanity. It is an encounter at eye level. Or, as a reader recently aptly put it: a book that warms.

In your professional life, you encounter many more or less prominent contemporaries from art and culture, science, and society. Whose thoughts and works have particularly touched you – both personally and during your work on this project?

Anna Marguerita Schön: Where should I even begin? I've had a warm connection with Konstantin Wecker for many years, ever since our first interview. Later, I also organized two readings with him. His thoughts and works were probably also what, as a spark, inspired me to write this book. With him, an interview doesn't feel like an interview, because one quickly gets into philosophizing about God and the world – or, more specifically, about Rainer Maria Rilke and healing utopias. It was quite similar with many other interviewees: you quickly sense with whom you harmonize particularly well, and then an interview can develop its own dynamic, which is usually much more interesting and multifaceted than you could ever have planned with pre-formulated questions. Regarding the book, I can say: The creation of this passion project took about a year and a half in total. During this time, I had so many valuable and appreciative conversations, learned so much, and was so amazed by the strength and courage, but also the lasting empathy, that some have maintained despite sometimes great challenges in their lives, or precisely because of them. I was overwhelmed by how positive the response was from the beginning; I eagerly "pounced" on every new contribution that arrived, and I am touched not only by all the wonderful texts themselves but also by the immediate willingness of all participants to turn this passion project into a charity project, to also do good in the world in this way.

78 years old and still going strong: The well-known singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker will also be on tour in 2026. Conversations with him and other inspiring personalities sparked in Anna Marguerita Schön the desire to "bundle something of this conviction, the longing for the fundamental, for peace, love, solidarity, for the essential and authentic, into book form."

For every copy of the book and e-book "Wir alten Hasen – Mut in bewegten Zeiten" sold, 1 Euro, and for audiobooks, 10% of the net proceeds, will go to charitable initiatives and aid projects personally selected by the authors. Which projects and initiatives are these?

Anna Marguerita Schön: The selected projects range from initiatives such as the "Münchner Tafel" (Munich Food Bank) or "Frauen gegen Gewalt" (Women Against Violence) and "Pro Asyl" to smaller, lesser-known aid projects such as the "SüdSee Kinder- & Jugendhilfe e. V." located in the Starnberg area. The projects, along with the authors' biographies, are briefly introduced in the book's afterword. This shows who is involved with which project. The book is being released just before Christmas, making it a wonderful Christmas gift that benefits not only the recipient but also the aid projects involved in the proceeds.

In the current debates about the future of society and the world as a whole, we often tend to pit generations against each other, blaming them mutually for shortcomings and transgressions. For example, "Boomers" are said to have wasted all resources, while subsequent generations XYZ no longer have a sense of achievement. Yet, everyone was once a "youngster" and will one day become an "old hand" – what message of encouragement would you like to leave behind?

Anna Marguerita Schön: I am not a fan of generalizations, not even when it comes to individual generations. Responsibility can be shifted back and forth at will, but who does that help? Four years ago, I had the great honor of interviewing the wonderful Dr. Jane Goodall, who, sadly, recently passed away at the age of 91 and is sorely missed by so many. When I asked her why there is still reason for hope despite all adversities, she shared the following principle with me, which we actually all know in our hearts: "If everyone followed the 'Golden Rule' – 'Treat others as you would like to be treated,' and by 'others' we mean all living beings and include land and water – then we would live in peace and harmony with each other and with nature." By the way, the "youngsters" were always particularly close to her heart. She gave them much reason for hope and encouraged them to live according to their own convictions. "Take action," she advised – act! That would also be my message of encouragement that I would like to leave behind: Everyone can choose every single day and at any time what kind of person they want to be, no matter what their life circumstances may be. We are not leaves in the wind; we actively shape this world. Doesn't that alone give us a whole surge of new courage and awaken a joy for life that we can pass on?

Further information and impressions about the book and audiobook, as well as the participating "old hands" and the editor, can be found on our "Wir alten Hasen" landing page →

Anna Marguerita Schön (Ed.) Wir alten Hasen. Mut in bewegten Zeiten (We Old Hands. Courage in Tumultuous Times) With Willy Astor, Nomi Baumgartl, Anne Devillard, Prof. Dr. Gerald Hüther, Michaela May, Isolde Ohlbaum, Dr. Heribert Prantl, Pastor Rainer Maria Schießler, Dr. Tilman Spengler and Konstantin Wecker Mankau Verlag, 1st edition October 2025 Hardcover, 13.5 × 18.5 cm, 191 pages ISBN 978-3-86374-740-4 15.00 Euro (D) | 15.50 Euro (A). To the book →

Available from January 26, 2026, as an audiobook: Wir alten Hasen. Mut in bewegten Zeiten (Audiobook) Mankau Verlag, 1st edition February 2026 1 MP3-CD in jewel case, 8-page booklet ISBN 978-3-86374-749-7 RRP 18.00 Euro (D) | 18.50 Euro (A) The contributions are read by the ten authors themselves. To the audiobook →

Link Recommendations

More about the book "Wir alten Hasen" →
To the reading sample in PDF format →
More about the audiobook "Wir alten Hasen" →
More about editor Anna Marguerita Schön →
To the "Wir alten Hasen" landing page →
To the social networks – for questions, criticism, suggestions →