Berlin Fosters Peace and Welcoming Through the International Literature Festival
The large event is spread throughout the city and gathers more than two hundred guests from Germany and abroad
September 20th, 2016
The city of Berlin is opening its doors to writers from all over the world. Here, they will have the opportunity to share their views of the world and their life paths. The festival allows them to do this not just by using pen and paper, but also by talking and getting in personal contact with their readers.
For almost twenty years, the festival has been inviting both eminent and little-known but talented writers to participate. The works of these writers have a connection to contemporary world issues but still express a personal conception of reality.
The different events are organised in a ten-day-schedule, but there are also extra festival ones taking place before and after that. To give just one example, the German socially committed writer Juli Zeh will contribute to an event called ‘Unterleuten’ (Among People) on 23th September.
The program is composed of several sections. The most relevant are of course those dedicated to the literatures of the world and to international children’s and young adult literature, where writers discuss the meaning of their works and their relationship to society.
A section called ‘Special’ deals with particular topics such as Islamism or the voice of young German people. Another section, ‘Reflections’, is specifically designed to debate difficult issues such as the future of democracy in our countries, the refugee situation and the significance of feminism in today’s society.
Literature has always been one of the highest expressions of culture. However, in the last centuries it has taken a step forward to become a means of understanding different cultures. The more people read, the more they understand themselves and are able to comprehend others’ view of the world even when it doesn’t belong to their own value system. Readers help to spread cultural diplomacy in the world.
