Dear audience,
everywhere we read: the need for reliable facts grows with the instability of our everyday lives.
For exactly this reason, alongside literary texts, the ILB also hosts dialogues and discussions about society and politics. Here, authors meet experts, journalists, scholars and politicians to exchange their thoughts and opinions openly.
This time, the discussion focusses above all about how we discuss with one another. The focus, then, is on our present-day debate culture, which is increasingly shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.
What does the permanent public demand for the expression of opinions and feelings do to our capacity for self-determination? How can political and ethical values be defended in a globally networked world? Where are the limits of what can be said and done?
Across one book presentation, six panels and three special evenings, we will return to these questions again and again from 3 to 12 September at the 26th ILB.
Our panel headliners include, among others:
Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, who last year suddenly found herself at the center of public debate over her candidacy for the Federal Constitutional Court. In her new book «Wahl und Wahrheit», she argues for a culture of debate that unites clarity, responsibility and the rule of law.
Der Streit um das Recht: Zur Lage der Debattenkultur in Deutschland | With Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf and Julia Reuschenbach
In cooperation with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Moderated by: Jürgen Kaube and Sandra Kegel
5 Sep | 19:30
Andreas Kossert and Christopher Clark, two of the most renowned historians of our time, celebrate the book launch of «Elsas Welt» and discuss Andreas Kossert’s most personal work to date.
Eine Familiengeschichte aus Lodz: Andreas Kossert – Elsas Welt | With Andreas Kossert, Christopher Clark and Karolina Kuszyk
In cooperation with the Polnischen Institut Berlin
Moderated by: Christopher Clark
5 Sep | 18:00
Tupoka Ogette, expert on racism-critical education, and podcaster Don Pablo Mulemba talk about their experiences, memories, and formative influences of growing up in the GDR and the post-reunification years.
Afro Ost Deutsch | With: Don Pablo Mulemba and Tupoka Ogette
Moderated by: Nine-Christine Müller
11 Sep | 20:00
Over three evenings, we take a closer look at who and what protects fundamental democratic principles, and which challenges come with that:
Politics in Exile: Democracy from Afar | With: Bahadîn Akhan, Ryyan Alshebl, Ali Alzaeem, Sveta Ben, Aslı Erdoğan, Stella Gaitano, Razia Karimi, Nathan Law, Mariam Meetra and Kai Sina
How can democracy be defended from exile? At the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, committed voices from literature and public life show just how much courage it takes to stand up for freedom and human rights from political exile.
In cooperation with the Körber Foundation, the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, and Stiftung Exilmuseum
Moderated by: Shila Behjat
7 Sep | 18:00–24:00 at the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation
The evening consists of three parts:
- Panel: Voices for Democracy: Those Who Don’t Fight Have Already Lost | With Aslı Erdoğan, Stella Gaitano and Mariam Meetra
- Wandering Readings | With Bahadîn Akhan, Ali Alzaeem, Sveta Ben, Aslı Erdoğan, Stella Gaitano, Razia Karimi and Mariam Meetra
- Panel: Engagement for Democracy: Freedom Is Not a Place | With Ryyan Alshebl, Nathan Law and Kai Sina
Was (mir) wirklich wichtig ist: Die frei&geist-Tour von PEN Deutschland | With: Hasnain Kazim, Anna Schneider, Wolfgang Thierse
What really moves us? In a world full of contradictions, Hasnain Kazim, Anna Schneider and Wolfgang Thierse ask about the most pressing crises of our time. Without knowing in advance what ideas each will bring to the table, they hold an open conversation about worry, responsibility, and what matters now.
In cooperation with PEN Germany
Moderated by: Matthias Politycki
10 Sep | 20:30–21:30
Steht am Ende die Freiheit: Ein Abend für den Iran | With: Michel Abdollahi, Behrad Alikonari, Shida Bazyar, Shila Behjat, Ali Fathollah-Nejad, Aidin Halimi, Ronya Othmann, Daniela Sepehri, Mahtab Yaghma
Ever since «Jin, Jiyan, Azadî» went around the world, the courage of the Iranian freedom movement has stood for a resistance that will not be silenced despite the most brutal repression. With the outbreak of the most recent war, authors, journalists, and artists feel more urgently than ever the need to bear witness.
In cooperation with PEN Berlin
Moderated by: Nina Moghaddam
11 Sep | 19:30–21:15
Moreover, with a rapidly approaching future in view, our stages also turn a critical eye on the immediate present. I especially recommend the following three panel discussions:
Netzjagd: Über digitalen Frauenhass | With: Thea Mengeler, Asha Hedayati
4 Sep | 18:00
Zukunft Deutschland: AfD an der Macht? | With: Justus Bender, Jean-Philippe Kindler, Heike Klüver
6 Sep | 17:00
Think Big! Tech Bros and AI-Revolution | With: Aya Jaff, Fritz Espenlaub, Wolfgang Ullrich
9 Sep | 20:00
Look forward to layered and illuminating debates. Come and watch our panelists think, argue, reflect, and search for solutions and paths to action. The full program of the 26th International Literature Festival Berlin, as well as tickets, can be found online at literaturfestival.com
I look forward to seeing you at the festival!
Yours, Nora Mengel
Program Manager of the International Literature Festival Berlin