Behrens has travelled to India, north Africa, the United States and South America.

She was a member of the PEN Centre Germany and of the German authors' association Verband deutscher Schriftsteller [de].

[2] Behrens has been a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis and at Dartmouth College.

[2] She has been awarded the Förderpreis [de] by the Festival of German-Language Literature, the Märkisches Stipendium für Literatur [de], the Thaddäus-Troll-Preis, the stipend from the Villa Massimo, the Mainzer Stadtschreiber by the ZDF and the city of Mainz, the George-Konell-Preis and recognition by the Deutsche Schillerstiftung.

[2] In her writings, she explores the limitations imposed on Jewish women in Germany while accepting that life elsewhere might not be any better.