Exploring Berlin's Literary Spectacle: An Insider's Perspective on the City's Grand Book Festival
The Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin (ILB) is set to return this month (Sep 5-14), with a theme that invites exploration and imagination: "Strange New World". This year's programme, curated by the festival's international curator-in-residence, Helon Habila, promises a rich tapestry of events, although specific English-language events for the festival have not yet been directly listed in the available search results.
Helon Habila's programme includes conversations, literary performances, and collaborations with various artists. One such collaboration involves Ben Okri, Wana Udobang, and Nnedi Okorafor. Another highlight is the anticipated appearance of Elif Shafak, who will present her new book, There Are Rivers in The Sky.
The festival aims to host meaningful conversations, bring people together, and create a communal space for Berlin's literary community. As part of this mission, Olivia Laing and Daniel Schreiber will have a conversation on the centre stage, and Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse will give the opening speech.
In previous years, the ILB has featured a wide range of events that align with the "Strange New World" theme. These include author readings and discussions by international writers addressing contemporary social, political, and speculative issues. Special series like "Echo. Echo", which highlights literature as a diverse and polyphonic echo chamber, often feature English-speaking authors and guests.
Another event to look forward to is the Graphic Novel Day, which showcases international comics and their creators, occasionally including English-language panels and presentations. The festival also focuses on regions and themes, such as contemporary issues like Iranian society or feminist literature, which may be presented in English.
Unfortunately, no detailed English program schedule for ILB 2023 is found in the provided results. To find the definitive top English-language events for ILB 2023’s "Strange New World" theme, I recommend checking the official ILB website or their 2023 festival archive directly, where the full program and event language details are published.
The festival location is the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstr. 24, Wilmersdorf (and other locations), Sep 5-14. Additionally, the ILB will host a Graphic Novel Day and a collaboration with the Belgrade-based literary festival Krokodil.
The festival will also feature 50 events scheduled for school groups during the week. Among the authors attending the festival are Thomas Korsgaard, a Danish author, and Iida Turpeinen from Finland. Rachel Cusk and Paul Lynch will also be featured in the festival.
Iida Turpeinen's novel is about a massive extinct sea creature and the extinction crisis, while Thomas Korsgaard's novel is a coming-of-age story and one of the speaker's favorites in recent times. The speaker mentions that they had Ocean Vuong before he became famous, implying a potential discovery of a similar talent at the festival.
The ILB's new director is Lavinia Frey, following a leadership change in early 2023. The festival is expected to be an exciting exploration of the "Strange New World" theme, bringing together a diverse range of authors, artists, and literary enthusiasts in Berlin this September.
- One can expect a collaboration between Ben Okri, Wana Udobang, and Nnedi Okorafor, as part of Helon Habila's program, during the Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin (ILB), in the realm of home-and-garden and entertainment.
- Apart from exploring contemporary issues and speculative themes, the Graphic Novel Day at the ILB will showcase English-language panels and presentations, situated within the lifestyle and home-and-garden sectors, alongside international comics and their creators.
