Spoken word in Bremen

Readings, lectures, travel reports, poetry slam & comedy in Bremen

Bremen has a lot to say, quite literally. This city is not only known for its town musicians and its Bremerhaven charm, but also for a lively spoken word scene that is guaranteed not to leave you cold. Whether poetry slam, spoken word, readings or cabaret, here language becomes art in a way that is far more than just sitting in a chair and silence. If you think readings are boring, then you obviously haven't been to the right events in Bremen. That can be changed. The Slammer Filet has been the permanent address for poetry slams in Bremen since 2008 and regularly brings the hottest poets in the German-speaking world to the Schaulust in the Güterbahnhof, where you are not just a spectator, but become a jury yourself, because the audience decides who wins. This is democracy in its most beautiful, loudest form. Once you've experienced how people can silence or make an entire room laugh with nothing but words and a voice, you'll never forget it. For all those who prefer something a little more literary, the Literaturhaus Bremen is a real institution. This is where Bremen's literary scene meets, contemporary authors come to talk, there are readings, discussions and a digital literary magazine that shows how closely written and spoken word are intertwined in this city. The Bremen City Library is also much more than just a place to borrow books and whisper; it offers a broad program of events with lectures, discussion rounds and exchange formats on social and cultural topics that you would look for in vain in many other cities. The Metropol Theater, on the other hand, shows that readings can also be a real stage experience when strong voices meet well-curated texts. Bremen has also been recognized as a UNESCO City of Literature for years, which is not just a nice title on business cards, but is reflected in the entire cultural life of the city, from initiatives in schools to bookshops with a programme of events and projects that bring the spoken word to all parts of the city. The calendar of spoken word events in Bremen is well-filled all year round, and the beauty of it is that spoken word is not an elitist hobby here, but something that brings very different people together, curious first-time visitors as well as die-hard slam fans. You don't have to know a poem by heart or have a degree in literature, you just have to go and listen. I promise: You'll see language a little differently afterwards. And Bremen anyway.