Although Schreiber originally studied to become an engineer, he has always been interested in literature and philosophy. During the 1980s, he helped organize several cultural events in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin. He came up with the idea of a literature festival while attending a poetry festival in Erlangen.
The first Berlin International Literature Festival took place in 2001. The festival has been held every year since, becoming one of the most important cultural events in Europe. The main goal of the festival is to present contemporary developments in prose and poetry from around the world. All authors present their works in their mother tongue, and then German translations are read by professional actors. This approach facilitates the dialog between the author and the audience.
The Berlin International Literature Festival is a truly cosmopolitan event, where Arabic poets can meet American short story authors, South Korean novelists exchange ideas and opinions with their Russian colleagues, and South African authors have deep and meaningful conversations with the new generation of Albanian writers. The festival features over 150 authors and presents about 180 events over 10 days, offering a unique experience to book lovers from all over Germany and abroad.
The program of the festival is divided into several sections, including Literatures of the World, International Children’s and Young Adult Literature, Specials, Reflections, Science and the Humanities, Berlin Reads, Guardian Angels, Worldwide Reading, and Speak, Memory. Each of the sections offers a series of events and activities such as readings, panels, workshops, Q&As, talks, discussions, and more.
The Berlin International Literature Festival is noted for its annual publications. The festival’s Catalog is an overview of all participating authors, each entry consisting of a photo, short biography, bibliography, and pen portrait. The Berlin Anthology is a collection of 99 poems selected by the participants of the Literatures of the World section. Scritture Giovani is a collection of five short stories written exclusively for the Scritture Giovani contest.
In 2021, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: literaturfestival.com
