Literary Highlights

Under the motto »You are born with your face turned everywhere«, the 26. International Literature Festival Berlin brings together established and new voices from many regions of the world. On this page you will find highlights of the 2026 Literary Program.

Opening

Festival Opening

Jeet Thayil, Boualem Sansal, Diego Piñera, Keisuke Matsuno, Simon Jermyn

Berliner Festspiele, Große Bühne

Thu 03.09.26,

6:00 pm

German, English, French

90'

Reading

The Art of Writing

Boualem Sansal

Tilla Fuchs

Frank Arnold

Berliner Festspiele, Große Bühne

Thu 03.09.26,

8:30 pm

German, French

60'

Reading

Vigdis Hjorth: Der gute Mensch von Sandvika

Vigdis Hjorth

Elke Ranzinger

Berliner Festspiele, Seitenbühne

Fri 04.09.26,

6:00 pm

German, Norwegian

75'

Panel

Netzjagd

Asha Hedayati, Thea Mengeler

Marie-Christine Knop

Berliner Festspiele, Studiobühne

Fri 04.09.26,

6:00 pm

German

75'

Reading

Douglas Stuart: John of John

Douglas Stuart

Hadnet Tesfai

Charly Hübner

Berliner Festspiele, Große Bühne

Fri 04.09.26,

7:30 pm

English with German reading passages

75'

Reading

Elemental Writing

Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Julia Fiedorczuk

Olivia Judson

Berliner Festspiele, Studiobühne

Fri 04.09.26,

8:00 pm

English

60'

Performance

One Last Unending Night for the World

Jeet Thayil, Diego Piñera, Keisuke Matsuno, Simon Jermyn

Berliner Festspiele, Seitenbühne

Fri 04.09.26,

9:00 pm

English

60'

Special

Your Book Club at the ILB

Berliner Festspiele, Festival Kitchen

Sat 05.09.26,

3:00 pm

60'

Special

Artist Alley

Berliner Festspiele

Sat 05.09.26,

3:00 pm

German, English

240'

Reading

Roya Soraya: Wind in meinem Kopftuch

Roya Soraya

Julia Korbik

Berliner Festspiele, Studiobühne

Sat 05.09.26,

3:00 pm

German

45'