International Literature Festival Berlin opens with multidisciplinary performance

The 26th International Literature Festival Berlin (ILB) has officially opened at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Running until September 12, the festival features over 100 authors from approximately 40 countries.

Curator in Residence Jeet Thayil opened the event with a cross-disciplinary performance combining poetry, music, and dance. His address explored the role and meaning of art during times of crisis, referencing poets such as W.B. Yeats and Wystan Hugh Auden.

The festival program includes high-profile participants such as Nobel laureate Han Kang, Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, and author Dave Eggers. This year's edition emphasizes the intersection of literature with music, performance, and dance under the motto ‘You are born with your face turned everywhere’.