The Free German Authors’ Association (FDA) has now existed for half a century – this is celebrated in Munich with a three-day literature and reading festival. A lot has happened in the literary landscape since 1973; the organization is developing its program along the lines of social change. Nevertheless, the name of the association is adorned with the generic masculine “authors”, and gender is used extremely inconsistently on the website. Will this possibly be called into question during the festival?
After all, the literature and reading festival is “the focus of the times,” as the FDA itself announces. A separate event will be dedicated to female perspectives in literature, including language in times of diversity, gender, tradition and modernity. Readings and discussions will explore the opportunities and challenges women writers face and sharpen their awareness of (in)equality.
Two women will also kick off the festival on Friday: Tanja Maljartschuk and Nora Gomringer. In her speech “There is always violence here. There is always fighting here” at the opening of the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize 2023, Maljarchuk dealt with the interaction between language and reality in light of current wars. The Ukrainian writer and journalist received the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2018 for her text “Frogs in the Sea”. Nora Gomringer also won this same prize with her text “Recherche,” in which she examines the role of a writer. In the Literaturhaus, both read from texts about the free word and its power or powerlessness to help shape society – a worthy and prominent line-up.
Things continue no less politically and explosively on Saturday in the Seidlvilla. Here a look at the literature should provide information about contemporary Europe. The FDA also looks back on its beginnings through the work of Hubertus Prinz zu Löwenstein. And experimental forms of expression in literature also make an appearance. Concert pianist Anna Heller offers “A Fantasy in Sounds and Words” and accompanies interdisciplinary texts, such as poetry-meets-jazz or poetic video installations.
Literature & Reading Festival, 27.-29. Oct. 2023, registration at fda.de