ADVERTISING
Literature, world reading record and re-election of the presidium
Darmstadt will become a stage for international literature at the end of June: PEN Germany is hosting its annual conference with an extensive public program. The focus will be on readings, panel discussions, and school events – with an emphasis on freedom of expression, democracy, and the plight of persecuted authors worldwide.
A particular highlight is the planned attempt to break the world reading record with around 2,000 students at the Merck Stadium. The program also includes evenings with writers in exile , discussions on literature in exile, the role of AI, and a keynote address on cultural policy. The event concludes with the election of the new PEN board .
Cooperation partners include numerous municipal and regional institutions. Venues include the Literaturhaus (House of Literature), the Centralstation (Central Station), the Orangerie (Orangery), and the Stadion am Böllenfalltor (Böllenfalltor Stadium).
Selected program items (excerpt):
- Mon, June 23, 7:00 pm, Literature House: Celebration “Freedom is the freedom of those who write differently”
- Tue, June 24, 6:00 pm, Literaturhaus: Discussion on the situation in Iran with Writers-in-Exile scholarship recipients
- Wed, June 25, 6:00 PM, Women's Center: Reading "From Exile" with María Teresa Montaño (Mexico)
- Thursday, June 26th, morning, Merck Stadium: Attempt to break the world reading record with 2,000 students
- Thursday, June 26, 8:00 p.m., Centralstation: Keynote address “Cultural Policy and Literature” with Olaf Zimmermann
- Fri, 27.6., Orangerie: General meeting with election of a new board (not open to the public)
- Fri, June 27, 7:30 pm, Orangerie: Writers-in-Exile evening on AI and exile literature
- Saturday, June 28th, from 9:30 am, Literaturhaus (House of Literature) among other venues: Day of Literature with readings, discussions, and activities promoting democracy
- Sunday, June 29th, 11:00 AM, Literaturhaus: Matinee with Hessian PEN authors
All public events are free of charge.
