Literaturfest: »FREIHEIT!« LITERATURFEST-ERÖFFNUNG

Freedom means imagination, boundlessness, playfulness, surprise, inspiration. Inner freedom makes you courageous and creative; it finds its most beautiful expression in storytelling, art and music. The theme of this festival.

"Freedom begins where we raise our voices", as literature festival curator and author Dana Grigorcea puts it. In conversation with Tanja Graf, she introduces her program and her top-class guests.

She is an icon of the Belarusian democracy movement, was arrested in 2020 and has been an even greater beacon of hope since her release in 2025: flutist Maria Kalesnikava. In her keynote speech at the start of the festival, we hear how she managed to maintain her radiant energy: "I am a person of art. It's hard to believe, but in prison I felt like a completely free person."

Also a guest: street artist Dan Perjovschi, who will be launching his Freedom artwork in the foyer of the Literaturhaus (3rd floor) on the opening day - participation is expressly permitted.