We live in uncertain times and face an uncertain future. These existential challenges will change our understanding of art, as demonstrated by the works of two authors whose extraordinary novels deal with themes of catastrophe. V. V. Ganeshananthan writes about the civil war in Sri Lanka. Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse has
With drinks and music, we’ll kick off the 24th ilb, while our special guest, Wana Udobang, sets the mood for the upcoming festival days with her spoken word performances on feminism, joy of life, and physicality. As in her most recently released album “Transcendence” (2020), we will celebrate the transcendental,
Welcoming Address: Lavinia Frey (Festival Director ilb), Matthias Pees (Director of Berliner Festspiele)Greetings: Joe Chialo (Berlin’s State Minister for Culture and Social Cohesion and Patron of the Festival)Introduction into the Program: 2024 Curator in Residence Helon Habila Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse opens the 24th ilb with her speech »Strange New World«.
German Book Premiere Konrad Widuch, once an enthusiastic Russian revolutionary, ends up in the gulag under Stalin. He manages to escape and finds refuge with the Ljáudi people in the vastness of the taiga. When a Russian plane lands nearby, he has to defend himself and is soon on the
The 90s were booming. Tamagotchi, tracksuits, techno parties. A »Awsome Time!« Darker years followed after 9/11. In his »Autobiography of a generation«, Niclas Seydack describes the highs and lows of millennial life. But what does author Caroline Wahl, who only just lived through the turn of the millennium but was
The ilb and Tropen Verlag invite you to join Niclas Seydack for a »Geile Zeit« at the Closing x Tropen Party of the 24th ilb. After numerous literary highlights and many special moments over the last ten days, we will kick off the grand finale of the festival. We are
Who doesn’t dream of refreshing, deep sleep? Many people suffer from sleep disorders, including authors. In »Schlafen«, Theresia Enzensberger takes a very personal journey through the night in an unwanted state of wakefulness. Together with Ananda Serné, whose much-praised debut novel »Nachtbloeiers« tells the story of young Eliza, who works
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death, Nicolas Mahler, »the Austrian comic genius« (Denis Scheck), presents an illustrated biography that introduces Kafka’s life and his most important works with dry humor and minimalist strokes: Gregor Samsa makes an appearance, as do the hunger artist and the
With »Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home«, »On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century«, and »Diaries of War«, Nora Krug presents a trilogy on human behavior in the face of state violence. She combines illustration, text, photography, and archive documents and sheds light on such difficult topics
Elena lives a carefree childhood in Tbilisi – until the Soviet army crushes the Georgian independence movement in 1989. Years later in Berlin, a letter from Elena’s missing childhood friend forms the starting point for a journey into her family’s past and the fate of Georgia. »Guruli [demonstrates] with poetic
The Pop-Up-Comic Book Fair More than a dozen exhibitors, including Berlin comic publishers, artists, and zine publishers, will be presenting their works and looking forward to exchanging ideas with other graphic novel fans and the public. The focus is on the community. Books, Graphic Novels, Comics, and Prints will be
Book Premiere Over dinner, the Muslim-Jewish couple Meron Mendel and Saba-Nur Cheema talks about their environment and everyday life, about traditions and innovations; they also address difficult topics such as identity politics, the Middle East conflict, and xenophobia. The essay collection »Muslimisch-jüdisches Abendbrot. Das Miteinander in Zeiten der Polarisierung« is
