poesiefestival berlin 2016

The 17th poesiefestival berlin takes the motto Kein schöner Land (“No finer country”) to point up the political and cultural upheavals in our lives. Flight and migration are changing our continent, and – despite all the difficulties – Europe can only gain from the cultures, languages and treasuries of words arriving with people from all over the world. Transcending nationalist ideas, poets use a diversity of poetic forms to explore deep-rooted changes past and present, constantly focusing on the (linguistic) aesthetic potential. As every year, the festival, which is organised by the Literaturwerkstatt Berlin/Haus für Poesie in cooperation with Akademie der Künste, is opening with “Weltklang – Night of Poetry” and closing with the Poetry Market.

Expected participants include Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua), Ana Blandiana (Romania), Caroline Bergvall (Norway), Luis Felipe Fabre (Mexico), Carolyn Forche (USA), Kapka Kassabova (Bulgaria/UK), Rasha Omran (Syria), Ana Ristovi (Serbia), Charles Simic (USA), Jimi Tenor (Finland), and Gassan Zagtan (Palestine).

Funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds (Capital Cultural Fund).