Comedy, Stand Up, Poetry Slam, Literature in Leipzig

Comedy, Stand Up, Poetry Slam, Literature in Leipzig

Leipzig is talking. And not in short supply. Anyone who believes that spoken words are somehow the less spectacular end of the cultural scale has obviously never experienced a good poetry slam or has left a reading too early. In this city, literature is not a matter for quiet library moments alone, but something that ends up on stages, fills halls and sometimes hits you right in the heart, even though you were actually just passing by. Leipzig is a book city, trade fair city and slam capital - all at the same time. It all starts with the Literaturhaus Leipzig in the Haus des Buches on Gerichtsweg: readings, literary discussions and meetings with authors take place here all year round, from debut novels to major literary voices, in a building that already signals architecturally that books are taken seriously here. For those who prefer to see words in motion, Westslam is the place to be, the regular poetry slam of the local slam scene, which, with changing venues, is always playing new spaces for spoken word, stage poetry and slam poetry, attracting an audience that comes out of conviction and not out of obligation. Behind the Westslam and many other events is Livelyrix e.V., which has been organizing the Leipzig slam scene for years and is constantly trying out new combinations with formats such as the Jazz Slam, the Book Fair Slam or the Slam versus Cabaret, which show how much scope spoken language has. The Kupfersaal in the city center is another venue that is regularly used for readings and larger spoken word events and, with its atmosphere, has just the right weight for texts that want to be heard. And then, of course, there is the Leipzig Book Fair, which transforms the city into one big reading festival every spring: With the accompanying Leipzig Reads program, readings, panel discussions and author talks take place in dozens of locations throughout the city, from bookshops to cafés, and suddenly literature is everywhere . The Moritzbastei in the historic cellar vaults below the city center is also a regular venue for slam poetry and spoken word evenings, offering an atmosphere that oscillates between concert club and literary cellar and always remains interesting. Leipzig thinks literature out loud, and that's good for the city. Take a look at our calendar of events, choose your next reading evening or slam and just sit down. The words will come to you.