Harbour Front Literature Festival opens in Hamburg with US theme

The 17th Harbour Front Literature Festival has opened in Hamburg, Germany, under the theme ‘Hamburg reads America – The American Dream: a lost love?’. The festival's kickoff at the Thalia Theater featured Hamburg's First Mayor, Peter Tschentscher, reading passages from the American Declaration of Independence of 1776.

This year's focus on the United States is prompted by the upcoming 250th anniversary of US independence, serving as a starting point for discussions regarding democracy and societal division. The event features a diverse lineup, including actors Ulrich Tukur and Joachim Meyerhoff, as well as a live performance of the podcast ‘Amerika, wir müssen reden!’ by Ingo Zamperoni and Jiffer Bourguignon.

Under the artistic direction of Joachim Lux, the festival includes 70 events across 20 locations throughout the city. The program runs until October 11 and is expected to attract approximately 30,000 visitors. In addition to literary readings, the festival will host debates on global future issues, such as a geopolitical scenario experiment led by futurist Florence Gaub.