The power of literature in full force on day four of the festival: From profound political discussions to manifold literary masterpieces – we bid summer farewell and brought ten events to the stages of the Berliner Festspiele on Sunday. In collaboration with PEN Berlin, we hosted a panel discussion for a morning matinee titled »What if We Were Wrong?«. Moderated by Bettina Böttinger, Katarina Barley, Petra Pau, Thomas de Maizière, Boris Palmer, and Linda Teuteberg engaged in a deep conversation about why we are failing to find a solution to right-wing extremism.
»That’s the good thing about art: you may transform all your negative experiences into something meaningful« – Thomas Korsgaard and Iida Turpeinen discussed the healing power of writing during their talk at »New Scandinavian Voices.«
For »How to Tell a Sophisticated (Hi)Story – Contemporary Arabic Literature,« actor Komi Togbonou read from German literary translations by Mustafa Al-Slaiman of Reem Bassiouney’s novel Al-Halwani and Haji Jabir’s Rimbaud Al-Habashi, created exclusively for the festival.
»A Writer is by Definition a Disturber of the Peace« – Helon Habila spoke with Barbara Wahlster and Zainabu Jallo in a combined reading and conversation, offering profound insights into his literary craft. To cap off the evening, he took on the role of moderator in a highlight panel of the program. In a discussion with Sasha Maria Salzmann and Logan February, the Curator-in-Residence explored the undeniable impact of James Baldwin on world literature alongside the authors.
