Berlin, 21. September 2025
25,000 visitors joined stars and newcomers of the international literary scene in celebrating a quarter century of world literature in Berlin.
After ten days the 25th international literature festival berlin (ilb) came to a close on September 20, 2025. Ninety authors from over 50 countries captivated audiences in around 110 events. With 25,000 visitors and an increase in seat occupancy from 60% to 80%, the concept of concentration and focus once again proved successful.
The high demand filled halls to capacity, created long queues, and resulted in a total of seven sold-out evenings – including events with Herta Müller and R.F. Kuang, as well as the panel discussions »Writing after October 7«, »Words in Motion«, and »A Woman’s Nature?!«. Interest was also high online: 20 events were streamed, and the discussion »Ernstfall Zeitenwende« with Carlo Masala, Sönke Neitzel, and Anna Engelke has already been viewed 37,000 times.
As in previous years, the festival demonstrated its tradition of being both critical and alert. Rarely has the question of what literature can achieve and what role it plays in our present moment shaped the international literature festival berlin as strongly as this year’s 25th edition. Readings and panels took up prominent debates and found great resonance among audiences. They reflected a sense of uncertainty, as well as the need for dialogue, orientation, and confidence. In her opening address »Breathing in Unison«, Cristina Rivera Garza, Curator in Residence 2025, reminded audiences of the unifying power of reading, especially in times of crisis.
Literature came alive in readings and dialogues: Abdulrazak Gurnah spoke with Sharon Dodua Otoo about his Art of Writing, Isabel Allende joined live from abroad to discuss her new book with Katja Riemann, and an evening with Herta Müller provided a highlight all its own. Mieko Kawakami, R.F. Kuang, Édouard Louis, Nora Osagiobare, and Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç attracted especially young readers to the Haus der Berliner Festspiele with both their work and their presence. Themes such as migration, exile, and war were central to the conversation »Im Recht des Menschen« with Nobel laureates Svetlana Alexievich and Irina Scherbakova, as well as to the contributions of numerous international authors in the evening event »Words in Motion«.
Under the motto GLOW, the anniversary festival embraced contradictions: it captured the diffuse mood of our time while also standing as a radiant sign of joie de vivre, creative energy, and shared experience.
For the second year in a row, the Festival Kitchen proved to be the true center and heart of the ilb. With its late-summer garden, long evenings, and open atmosphere, it became a place of encounter for visitors and authors alike. Here, one could feel what lies at the heart of the festival: exchange, closeness, and shared experience.
For the first time, radio3’s festival radio broadcast live coverage straight from the heart of the festival.
High attendance, intense debates, an atmosphere both festive and contemplative, and a vibrant festival center gave this anniversary its unique character.
YOUNG PROGRAM
This year, the Young Program of the 25th international literature festival berlin attracted around 9,000 visitors – roughly one third of the total audience – marking an increase of nearly 20% over the previous year. Even before the summer holidays, almost as many tickets had been booked as were sold shortly before the start of the 2024 festival, a clear sign of growing enthusiasm. Workshops were already fully booked by July – with around 700 students taking part. In total, 17 international authors, illustrators, and translators presented just as many books on stage, in workshops, and in readings. The opening event with Filipino author Candy Gourlay and the readings with Javier Zamora, Sid Sharp, Kim Spencer, Oskar Kroon, Beatrice Alemagna, and Maria Parr proved especially popular.
Themes such as migration and colonialism sparked lively debates and curiosity: Candy Gourlay’s opening speech captivated young visitors, as did appearances by Kim Spencer and Javier Zamora, who also featured in the general festival program. After the official closing on September 20, the Young ilb continues: first with the 23rd International Family Festival at die gelbe Villa, and then until September 24 at Theater an der Parkaue. In fully packed rooms, amid curious faces and lively exchanges of questions and ideas, it became clear once again that reading and literature inspire, excite, and connect young audiences.
ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM IN OCTOBER
October 22, 2025 | Deutsches Theater Berlin
Arundhati Roy »Meine Zuflucht und mein Sturm«
The anniversary program glows on into October. On October 22, 2025, Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy will celebrate the German premiere of her memoir »Mother Mary comes To Me« – »Meine Zuflucht und mein Sturm« [trans. Anette Grube] at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. The event is sold out. Any remaining tickets will be available at the box office.
About the Reading
PODCAST
»read, read, read«
The podcast of the international literature festival berlin
On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the international literature festival berlin is releasing a podcast featuring highlights from a quarter century of festival history. The series brings together selected archival recordings as well as conversations with voices from various areas of literary life. The episodes are now available on all major podcast platforms.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
The 26th international literature festival berlin will take place next year from September 3 to 16:
03 – 12 Sep Program
07 – 16 Sep Young Program