From 3 to 12 September, the ILB presents contemporary world literature, social debates and musical border-crossings, featuring more than 100 authors from around 40 countries.
«I am convinced that, in a highly connected yet bewildering world, the festival creates curated oases of attention. We want to offer our festival guests depth and invite them to turn their gaze in ever new directions.»
LAVINIA FREY, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
Festival Opening
Thursday, 3 September, 18:00 | Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Running order:
Welcoming address: Matthias Pees, Director of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Introduction: Lavinia Frey, Festival Director
Greetings: Boualem Sansal, Patron of the 26th ILB
Opening speech «September»: Jeet Thayil, Curator in Residence
With musical accompaniment by the ILB House Band.
In German, English with simultaneous interpretation, and French, with projected translations.
Accreditation
Press accreditation for the 26th International Literature Festival Berlin is now open via our online form.
For interview requests, please contact: presse@literaturfestival.com
100 authors from around 40 countries
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL BERLIN OPENS IN ONE WEEK
In one week, on 3 September, the curtain rises on the 26th International Literature Festival Berlin (ILB). Until 12 September, Berlin transforms for the 26th time into a hub of international contemporary literature. Under the motto «You are born with your face turned everywhere», the ILB brings together established and emerging voices from many regions of the world. The star-studded festival program takes up pressing social debates and, for the first time on a larger scale, celebrates the connection between literature and music, performance and dance.
Highlights include readings and conversations with Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang, Ben Lerner, Christian Kracht, Cornelia Funke, Christopher Clark, Adania Shibli and Dave Eggers. Patron Boualem Sansal appears in Berlin for the first time since his release from imprisonment in Algeria. Numerous actors perform German texts on stage, including Ulrich Matthes, Martina Gedeck and Charly Hübner.
The festival brings readers and writers together. Around 25,000 visitors will meet more than 100 authors from around 40 countries. 240 contributors from literature, music, academia and society shape around 120 events, including readings, panels, performances and workshops.
The festival brings readers and writers together. Around 25,000 visitors will meet more than 100 authors from around 40 countries. 240 contributors from literature, music, academia and society shape around 120 events, including readings, panels, performances and workshops.
WHAT’S NEW AT THE 26TH ILB
For the 26th edition, the ILB is expanding the Curator in Residence program introduced in 2024 into a «festival within the festival» for the first time. Indian writer, poet and musician Jeet Thayil describes his program as a «jam session» in which art forms and cultures collide: ten events are dedicated to collaboration and improvisation, with guests including Tishani Doshi, Omar Musa and Mohammed Hanif. For the first time in the festival’s history, a specially assembled jazz trio, the ILB House Band led by Diego Piñera, will accompany authors on stage.
Also new is the series «Satzwechsel», a collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker that brings together literature and classical music. Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang opens the series on 7 September with her first Berlin reading since receiving the prize.
The Poetry Night also returns on 8 September in a new two-part format: at «Poetry in the Neighborhood», from 17:30, a group of Berlin-based authors reads in their respective languages at changing locations around the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, with the audience moving from place to place. From 20:30, «Poetry in the Spotlight» follows with a stage evening featuring international poetic voices.
Also new this year: at many events, authors speak with one another without a moderator. For instance, Dana Vowinckel and Ruth-Maria Thomas come together for «Lust auf Liebe» on 12 September to discuss their new novels, «Anton und Alma» and «Die zweitgrößte Liebe» — love stories set in a divided world.
In the Young Program, this year sees the first-ever Lesesause on 6 September: a festival for children and their families with readings by Cornelia Funke, Dave Eggers and other guests. The event offers plenty of hands-on activities to discover, and a concert party with Muckemacher invites everyone to dance and sing along.
THEMATIC FOCUS AREAS 2026
Several threads run through this year’s program. Under the theme of power, technology and dystopias, several panels ask who is shaping the future and by what rules: at «Zukunft Deutschland: AfD an der Macht?», Justus Bender, Jean-Philippe Kindler and Heike Klüver discuss the electoral successes of right-wing populists in Germany and around the world; at «Think Big! Tech Bros und KI-Revolution», Aya Jaff, Fritz Espenlaub and Wolfgang Ullrich discuss the growing power of tech corporations.
War and crisis are at the center of several evenings: at «Steht am Ende die Freiheit: Ein Abend für den Iran», authors, poets and musicians speak about the Iranian freedom movement. The evening «Politik im Exil: Demokratie aus der Ferne» brings together voices from literature and public life living in political exile at the Documentation Center for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation. Adania Shibli, one of the most important Palestinian authors writing today, presents her long-awaited follow-up to «Minor Detail» (Tr: Elisabeth Jaquette), «Delusion».
On the subject of environment and ecology, Indian author Amitav Ghosh reads from his new novel «Ghost-Eye», which uses the tools of magical realism to tell a story of family ties and climate change. The festival will also see the presentation of the German Prize for Nature Writing 2026.
Another connecting theme is the question of origin and belonging in the age of globalization. Historian Andreas Kossert speaks with Christopher Clark about his most personal book, «Elsas Welt», a family history of flight and displacement in the Polish city of Lodz. At the JVA des offenen Vollzugs Berlin, Tomer Gardi presents his novel «Liefern» as part of the «Literatur hinter Gittern» format, a reflection on globalization and precarious working cultures in delivery services.
Young Program
The Young Program (6 to 16 September) also has news to share: for the first time, in the project «Jugend kuratiert», young people themselves helped decide which books would be presented at the festival. Their choice fell on «Badjens» by Delphine Minoui and «The Glass Girl» by Kathleen Glasgow.
On 8 September, Özge Samancı opens the Young Program with her picture book «Evil Eyes Sea». Engaging readings and individual workshops at various venues across Berlin, including the Theater an der Parkaue and die gelbe Villa, form the heart of the Young Program.
The program booklets for the Program and the Young Program are available for download at www.literaturfestival.com. Tickets for all events are available for purchase.
PATRON
The patron of the 26th edition of the International Literature Festival Berlin is Boualem Sansal.
VENUES
Program:
Haus der Berliner Festspiele (Festival Center) | Dokumentationszentrum Flucht, Vertreibung, Versöhnung | Humboldt Forum | JVA des offenen Vollzugs, Teilanstalt Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. | Berliner Philharmonie | Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung | Bookinista
Young Program:
Haus der Berliner Festspiele | die gelbe Villa | Theater an der Parkaue | Workshops at numerous Berlin cultural institutions
DATES & FURTHER INFORMATION 26th ILB
- 3 – 12 September 2026 Program
- 6 – 16 September 2026 Young Program
Further information: literaturfestival.com
Download MediaKit and press images
TICKETS & PRICES
Tickets are available here: https://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/programm/2026/internationales-literaturfestival-berlin
The box office opens at all venues one hour before the start of the event. Tickets for the ILB are also available at the box office in the Gropius Bau.
Service line of the Berliner Festspiele on +49 (0) 30 25489 – 100
or via email to ticketinfo@berlinerfestspiele.de
Regular: 12 € | reduced: 8 €
Special price regular: 18 € | reduced: 12 €
Special prices apply to selected events.
Further details are available on our website.
Festival Pass 150 € | 75 €
Graphic Novel Day Pass 5 €
TICKETS & ADVICE YOUNG PROGRAM
tickets@literaturfestival.com
Service line: +49 (0) 30 – 278786 – 70 / – 72
Mon – Fri, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
PRICES YOUNG PROGRAM
School classes: €5 per pupil (accompanying adults free of charge) | reduced: €3 per pupil
Individuals: €12 full price | reduced: €8
Further information: literaturfestival.com/junges-programm-besuch/
MAIN FUNDER
Hauptstadtkulturfonds
MAIN FUNDER Curator in Residence Program
LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin
MAIN SPONSOR YOUNG PROGRAM
Thalia
AS A GUEST OF
Berliner Festspiele
PRESENTED BY
radio3
Press contact
Dr. Dennis Kölling
Head of Communications
International Literature Festival Berlin
dennis.koelling@literaturfestival.com | +49 (0) 30 27 87 86 42