Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will assume the role of patron of the 2025 anniversary edition of the international literature festival berlin (ilb). As a proud lover of literature, the Federal President was also a guest at the 20th international literature festival berlin, where he joined Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa in discussing the pandemic’s impact on politics, literature, and culture, as well as the opportunities it presents. For 25 years, the ilb has brought together outstanding voices from contemporary global literature, becoming a vibrant meeting point for authors and readers alike. Popular favorites and literature enthusiasts, bestselling authors and emerging talents come together, all bound by their shared passion for reading. The festival offers fresh perspectives on current political issues, social trends, and global developments through artistic, academic, and journalistic lenses, providing lively discussions and reflections. Each year, it presents a dynamic and moving experience that transforms act of reading into a communal event.
To mark this anniversary, the festival will present a program titled ” Ein Vierteljahrhundert Weltliteratur – A Quarter Century of World Literature.” This year’s program will feature Mexican-American author and Pulitzer Prize winner Cristina Rivera Garza as Curator in Residence curating a series of events. In total, the festival will host 130 authors from around 40 countries, offering 110 events and workshops. The diverse program will include book premieres, panel discussions, a Poetry Night, a Graphic Novel Day, and festival parties.
Lavinia Frey, Director of the international literature festival berlin:
“I am extremely grateful to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for taking on the role of patron for the international literature festival berlin this year. This is a strong endorsement of the value of literature and the importance of our festival. While we, as a society, advocate for peace across the globe, culture – and this festival in particular – has the power to create spaces for connection, exchange, and empathy.”