Tanja and Jerome are navigating a long-distance relationship in a world of constant communication and emotional hyper-reflection. Whether they're texting one another trip updates from midday raves or debating the best trainers in the own-brand aisle of Decathlon, every gesture is controlled and self-aware. This is love in the therapeutic age. Written with crackling insight, dry humour, and deep emotional intelligence, Allegro Pastel proclaims Leif Randt as the premiere German stylist of his generation.

Leif Randt is a freelance writer living in Maintal and Berlin. His novels include Planet Magnon and Shimmering Haze over CobyCounty. Allegro Pastel, his fourth work, was a bestseller in Germany and nominated for the German Book Prize. A movie adaptation will appear in cinemas in fall 2025. He has co-curated the online platform Tegel Media since 2017. Peter Kuras is a writer and translator living in Berlin. He has written about politics and culture for the Economist, the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian and Der Freitag.