This interdisciplinary research project, which explores the therapeutic potential of literature, reading and writing in old age, lies at the intersection of the medical humanities, biopoetics and literary studies. Through dialogue with literary scholars, linguists, experts in gerontology and the neurosciences, as well as authors, the aim is to explore the therapeutic potential of literature – for example, in the form of reading circles, writing workshops and narrative therapy – in the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the project involves analysing literary texts and artistic works with regard to their potential for identification and possible coping strategies for age-related existential crises, such as the menopause or the midlife crisis. Particular emphasis is placed on the gender dimensions of the experience of ageing and its portrayal in literary texts, which serve as an experimental space in this regard. The project follows on from the Opus Magnum project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, ‘Writing about Women’s Ageing in Texts by Female Poets and Authors in Italian Literature from the Renaissance to the Present Day’ (Nomosverlag 2024/25).