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Press release
The 18th international literature festival
berlin
(Berlin, August 16, 2018) The 18th international literature festival berlin [ilb] Paula Stuckatz
will take place at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele from September 5 – 15, Head of Communications
2018. In addition, you can attend several ilb events at cultural spots around
the city – for example at the Museum für Naturkunde in Mitte, the silent paula.stuckatz@literaturfestival.com
green Kulturquartier in Wedding and the aquarium (Südblock) in +49(0)30 27 87 86 45
Kreuzberg. The festival offers its visitors diverse opportunities to encounter international literature festival berlin
both renowned authors and writers who are less known in Germany, as well [ilb]
as the chance to dive into incredibly relevant topics through works of prose, Chausseestraße 5
10115 Berlin
poetry, nonfiction, graphic novels and exceptional children’s and young adult
literature. In total, the ilb boasts around 200 guests from over 50 countries. www.literaturfestival.com
This year’s program is characterized by five key topics: “Decolonizing
Wor:l:ds,” “Nature Writing,” “The Art of Cooking,” “The Politics of
Drugs” and “The Evolution of Human Culture” as well as a congress on 18th international literature
the future of the national state on September 15. festival berlin
September 5–15, 2018
The complete program is available at: www.literaturfestival.com. Ticket
berlin reads
presales begin on August 17.
September 2, 2018
8th Graphic Novel Day
September 9, 2018
Kickoff and Opening
4th international literature festival
The 18th ilb kicks off with the “berlin reads” campaign on September 2, odessa
when literature enthusiasts in the capital can join in the festival. On this day, September 26–30, 2018
all Berliners are invited to read aloud from a work of their choice in a place of
their choice. Whether an institution or private person, whether in a
neighborhood club or bookstore, in your favorite cafe or in your favorite
corner store, in a gallery or on a public square – just like in previous years,
people come together everywhere in the city to read and listen, and to
celebrate the diversity of literature together with the ilb.
The festival will open on September 5, 2018 with a speech by Eva Menasse
(Austria/Germany) and a performance by the pianist Igor Levit
(Russia/Germany). Afterwards Burghart Klaußner (Germany) will read from
his novel “Vor dem Anfang” (before the beginning) – the first book launch of
the 18th ilb. Moreover, Akwaeke Emezi (Nigeria/USA) will present the
translation of her novel debut “Freshwater” and Dima Wannous
(Syria/Lebanon) will present her book “Die Verängstigten” (“The Frightened
Ones”).
Guests
In numerous book launches, the German translations of new novels will be
presented at the ilb, such as works by Sebastian Barry (Ireland), Zaza
Burchuladze (Georgia/Germany), Rachel Cusk (UK), Jennifer Egan
(USA), Dmitry Glukhovsky (Russia), Olivier Guez (France), Francesca
page 1 of 5Melandri (Italy), Michael Ondaatje (Canada), and Vivek Shanbhag (India),
as well as new novels by authors such as María Cecilia Barbetta
(Argentina/Germany), Nino Haratischwili (Georgia/ Germany), Helene
Hegemann (Germany), Steffen Mensching (Deutschland), and Juli Zeh
(Germany). At four “Poetry Nights,” over 20 poets will perform, including
Hala Mohammad (Syria), Ana Ristović (Serbia), Sergio Raimondi
(Argentina), Ko Ko Thett (Myanmar), Levin Westermann (Switzerland) and
Chris Song (China).
Alongside readings, at the 18th ilb authors also give accounts of the political,
social and cultural situations in their respective countries of origin. Sergio
Ramírez (Nicaragua), winner of the Cervantes Award 2017, will present his
works in a reading and podium discussion in which the author and politician
reflects on the political crisis in Nicaragua, among other topics. The Egyptian
authors Basma Abdel Aziz and Omar Robert Hamilton will introduce their
new novels and discuss the current political and social conditions in the Arab
world with the war reporter and journalist Scott Anderson (USA). Authors
from Myanmar and Hong Kong like Nathan Law, one of the initiators of the
“Umbrella” movement, read from their current books and come together to
discuss the political situation in their homeland.
On September 8, the authors Karen Connelly (Canada), Charmaine Craig
(USA) and Ibrahim Nasrallah (Jordan) will present their reportages about
the situation of refugees in different regions around the world. These were
written exclusively for the ilb project “Refugees Worldwide II.” Ai Weiwei
(China/Germany) will introduce his documentary film “Human Flow” and
discuss the global refugee movements. Even before the opening, the festival
will be screening the nine-and-a-half hour film “Shoah” by Claude
Lanzmann at Haus der Berliner Festspiele on September 4. Afterwards the
late author and filmmaker will be remembered in an homage.
Didier Eribon (France), David Graeber (UK) and Bhaskar Sunkara (USA),
the young publisher of the neo-Marxist magazine “Jacobin,” consider the
links between social background, work world, and identity in their own
respective events in the section “Reflections.”
The following writers and illustrators will participate in this year’s edition of
the Graphic Novel Day, curated by Lars von Törne (Germany), on
September 9: Paula Bulling (Germany), Liu Jing (China), Mazen Kerbaj
(Lebanon/Germany), Eric Lambé (Belgium) and Philippe de Pierpont
(Belgium), Leopold Maurer (Austria), Athanassios Petrou (Greece),
Francisco Sousa Lobo (Portugal) and Liv Strömquist (Sweden).
The section “Memory, Speak” centers its gaze on Lucia Berlin, Bruce
Chatwin, Witold Gombrowicz, Marcel Proust and Dylan Thomas this year.
International Children’s and Young Adult Literature
In 2018 around 30 international authors, illustrators and scholars will
participate in the section “International Children’s and Young Adult
Literature.” The featured works include new picture and children’s books, as
well as novels and nonfiction books, including many book launch readings.
The section kicks off on September 5 with a reading by the Swedish author
Frida Nilsson, who will present her novel “Siri und die Eismeerpiraten” (Siri
and the Arctic Ocean pirates).
page 2 of 5Other guests in the section include Melba Escobar de Nogales (Colombia),
Frances Hardinge (UK), Jason Reynolds (USA), Sydney Smith (Canada),
Duncan Tonatiuh (Mexico), and Dianne Touchell (Australia). Alongside
readings, workshops, discussions, exhibits, and diverse specials will take
place as well. In the series “Spotlight Switzerland,” writers Regina Dürig,
Franz Hohler, Emmanuelle Houdart, Francesca Sanna, and Nina Wehrle
will present their books. This year’s retrospective is all about Astrid
Lindgren’s book “Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter,” which Lindgren’s
grandson Johan Palmberg will discuss. In addition, the lecture series
“Talkin’ ‘bout a revolution” will be featured in cooperation with the
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.
Decolonizing Wor:l:ds
In the series “Decolonizing Wor:l:ds,” the 18th ilb addresses the related
issues of colonialism, neo-colonialism and decolonization. It primarily takes
place from September 8 to 10 in the event rooms at aquarium (Südblock) in
the central Kreuzberg location at Kottbusser Tor. The name of the section is
inspired by the book published in 1986, “Decolonising the Mind: The Politics
of Language in African Literature” by the Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o,
which was published in German translation in 2017. In this book, one of the
topics Thiong’o deals with is African authors who write in the languages of
the former colonial powers and the role of these languages in African
societies and on other continents. According to Thiong’o, the continued
presence of these languages leads to a perpetual colonization of the culture
and makes a considerable impact on the self-perception of those who speak
these languages. “Decolonising the Mind” subsequently became a well-
known term referring to the different possibilities of resistance to existing
forms of mental colonization, Western imperialism and hegemony. In panel
and fishbowl discussions, the 18th ilb will take a closer look at specific
aspects of mental colonization processes. In turn, a forum will be created
especially for voices which otherwise tend to receive little attention. The
series will actively engage the audience with discussion formats and events
which blend readings and debates. This year’s guests include Dipesh
Chakrabarty (India/USA), Aya Cissoko (France), Masande Ntshanga
(South Africa), Mukoma wa Ngugi (Kenya/USA), and Musa Okwonga
(Uganda/Germany). In cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Nature Writing
Nature, ecology and the interdependence of humans and their environment
are becoming increasingly important topics in contemporary literature.
Starting from the observation that in German contemporary culture, topics of
nature play an ever bigger role, the 18th ilb conceived a series dedicated to
nature writing as one of this year’s “Specials”. In this series authors such as
Michał Książek (Poland), Maja Lunde (Norway), Marion Poschmann
(Germany), Judith Schalansky (Germany), Fredrik Sjöberg (Sweden),
Mark Tredinnick (Australia), Nell Zink (USA/Germany), and several others
read from their current works and discuss central topics in this genre in
podium discussions: the significance of the diversity of plant and animal
species for our planet, the importance of living in harmony with nature and
opportunities to do so, the role of literature in society’s approach to dealing
with climate change, the correlations between species extinction and poetics
as well as between the Anthropocene and literature. The ilb asks: what does
page 3 of 5this new focus on nature mean? How should we see nature writing against
the backdrop of the geo-climate challenges of our times? And which
commonalities and differences shape the tradition of nature writing in
different cultures? From indigenous Australian nature writing to British
colonial roots to the environmental justice movement and urban nature
writing, the series will explore the wide spectrum of contemporary literary
reflections on nature.
The Art of Cooking
This event series is part of the “Special” section of the 18th ilb. It is dedicated
to literature dealing with cooking and eating in both a scientific as well as
political and cultural context. This year’s guests include renowned
international food writers such as Bee Wilson (UK) and Nigel Slater (UK),
authors such as Rita Indiana (Dominican Republic) and Laksmi Pamuntjak
(Indonesia) and food history experts such as Thomas Macho (Austria) and
Bruce Pascoe (Australia). In panel discussions, guests will present recipes
and consider current trends in food writing as well as eating habits in
different countries. The format should serve as an opportunity to think about
the challenges of globally oriented food consumption as well as to discuss
sustainable farming methods and forms of nutrition. Recognized experts and
writers will discuss the challenges of modern-day nutrition.
The Politics of Drugs
From dealers on the street and buying drugs on the “dark net,” South
American drug cartels and international pharma concerns, drug overdoses
and criminality, the significance of natural drugs like ayhuasca for indigenous
peoples and the Portuguese policy of decriminalizing drugs, the opiate crisis,
the spiritual search for eliminating boundaries, the history of drug policies
since both of China’s opium wars initiated by colonial Great Britain – the
subject of drugs is complex. In the section “Reflections,” the 18th ilb includes
a debate on the “Politics of Drugs,” followed by a Worldwide Reading on the
topic on November 24. The perceptions of drugs and the political treatment
of drugs will be considered in historical retrospect. Moreover, today’s forms
of production, transport routes, consumption behavior and its effects will be
traced. One subject of focus will be the institutional, (mainly) state regulation
of the drug trade and drug use. The event series aims to map out different
models and practices of drug policies and to discuss their advantages and
disadvantages as well as to place a new emphasis on the international
discourse on drugs. The series is curated by Norman Ohler (Germany).
The Evolution of Human Culture
In this series of the section “Science and the Humanities,” the 18th ilb wants
to provide insights into the contemporary research discourse on the
foundation of human culture, its conditions for formation and early
development. The series will do so by presenting current publications and
discussing topics with internationally renowned scholars. Every evening the
author and literary scholar Raoul Schrott (Austria) meets a different scholar
to discuss an area of focus. The series starts off with a look at scientific
theories about the evolution of consciousness and intelligence in the animal
kingdom. In a next step, it will consider human development against this
page 4 of 5backdrop by tracing the emergence of the first cultural artefacts of
humankind as well as humans’ ability to speak. From early cultural heritage
and the development of language, the trail continues to the biological
foundations of aesthetic perception. Building on these essential reflections
on aesthetics, Raoul Schrott and his guests will further examine the
development of mankind’s earliest forms of art, such as the first rock
paintings and sculptures. Alongside early artistic creation, they will also
focus on the latest research findings about the development of writing as
well as literature. Together with the audience, the series sets off on the
search to discover which basic abilities distinguish mankind from other
species.
Conference: “What Comes After the Nation State?”
At the 18th ilb, the civic network European Alternatives will be holding a
conference on September 15 to investigate the question of which alternative
organisation forms might follow as the nation state is being plagued by
continual crises in our times. The financial crisis is still taking a toll on the
continued economic stagnation of many countries, extremist movements and
parties have been in an upswing for some time, while liberal democracies
seem to be on the defensive. Ten years after Lehman Brothers declared
bankruptcy, this range of issues will be debated by activists, artists,
intellectuals and politicians at the ilb.
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