About the Young Program

The Young Program of the International Literature Festival Berlin (ILB) presents a wide range of readings and workshops for school classes, as well as special formats for families. Its activities form a comprehensive initiative to interactively promote reading and strengthen intercultural skills. In numerous readings and workshops with authors and illustrators from a variety of cultural backgrounds, children and young people can discover and explore the world in all its cultural diversity through reading, discussion, and hands-on activities. Another central goal of the program is to introduce young readers to aesthetically, literarily, and thematically outstanding and courageous works of contemporary children’s and young adult literature. The Young Program opens with a speech by a young adult author. Since 2025, the program has also included staged readings in cooperation with Theater an der Parkaue. From 2012 to 2025, the non-monetary literary award The Extraordinary Book was presented. Beginning in 2026, the festival books will be displayed as part of the ILB Reading Summer at three libraries, where they will also be available to borrow after the festival.
The program is rounded out by various participatory formats for young readers, including a poetry competition and the project Youth Curates, organized in cooperation with LesArt and the German Academy for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

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Readings for School Classes

The readings of the Young Program are primarily designed for school groups from grades 1 through 12, but are also open to all interested visitors. Each event features a moderated conversation with the international guest, readings from the featured book — with picture-book or comic projections for illustrated works — and a Q&A session with the audience. Experienced hosts, actors and interpreters guide the young audience through the event. Selected readings are preceded by performances by young authors from Berlin and Brandenburg — often of the same age as the student audience — who present excerpts from their award-winning texts.

Venues: Haus der Berliner Festspiele and Theater an der Parkaue

Event language: The readings are interpreted into German. Selected events for grade 9 and up are held entirely in English.

Event duration: 60–75 minutes or 75–90 minutes, depending on the audience’s age and attention span.

Workshops for School Classes

Our workshop program invites students in grades 1 through 12 to explore a book from the current festival program through a variety of artistic approaches. Each workshop centers on the individual creativity and reading skills of every child. All workshops are free of charge, and all participants receive a complimentary book.

Venues: various cultural institutions in Berlin

Duration: 1-3 days

What to expect:

• Participants do not need to have read the book before the workshop, or only need to have read short excerpts.
• At the end of each workshop, participants take part in a one-hour meet & greet with the author or illustrator.

Contact

Head of Young Program

Lena Scheitz
lena.scheitz@literaturfestival.com
+49 30 27 87 86 71

Head of School Communication & Production

Henrike Schmidt
henrike.schmidt@literaturfestival.com
+49 30 27 87 86 72

Student Assistant Young Program

Helene Zinnecker
helene.zinnecker@literaturfestival.com
+49 30 27 87 86 51