PEN Berlin Festival 2025: »Who’s Gonna Clean This Up?«
Säälchen, Holzmarktstraße 25, 10243 Berlin
Saturday, 29 November 2025
Tickets: Reduced: €15 | Regular: €20 | Political price: €30
The day will be hosted by Bascha Mika (journalist). Daniela Sepehri, Andrea Landfried and Jayrôme Robinet will present imprisoned authors.
1.00 p.m. | Opening address by Thea Dorn (writer, spokesperson of PEN Berlin)
1.30 p.m. | Panel discussion | »Power, Money, NGO«
With: Jan Fleischhauer (journalist), Timo Reinfrank (Amadeu Antonio Foundation), Ralf Fücks (Centre for Liberal Modernity), Ulrike Winkelmann (Editor-in-Chief, taz) and Holger Marcks (social scientist). Chair: Catherine Newmark (journalist)
Under the title »Power, Money, NGO«, journalist Jan Fleischhauer, Timo Reinfrank (Executive Director of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation), Ralf Fücks (Director of the Centre for Liberal Modernity), Ulrike Winkelmann (Editor-in-Chief of taz) and Holger Marcks (head of the research unit »Against Hate on the Net«) will discuss how much subsidy subversion can withstand.
2.45 p.m. | Conversation | »What’s Next, America?«
With: Thomas Meaney (journalist/Granta) and Nora Krug (author). Chair: Paul-Henri Campbell (poet). In English
Thomas Meaney, editor of the international literary magazine Granta, will talk with German-American author and illustrator Nora Krug about the current situation in the United States.
3.30 p.m. | Panel discussion | »Literature today: Can we throw it away?«
With: Helge Malchow (former KiWi publisher), Manja Präkels (writer), Kristof Magnusson (writer) and Khuê Phạm (writer). Chair: Insa Wilke (literary critic)
On the panel »Literature today: Can we throw it away?«, former KiWi publisher Helge Malchow and the writers Manja Präkels, Kristof Magnusson and Khuê Phạm will reflect on the current state of literature. Has it ruthlessly overestimated itself? Or is it gaining dissident power in the face of growing unfreedom?
4:45 p.m. | Conversation | »Transnational repression: Where power finds you«
With: Basma Mostafa (journalist) and Noura Chalati (Reporters Without Borders). Chair: Jenny Friedrich-Freksa (Editor-in-Chief, Kulturaustausch). In English
Whether authors in exile are truly safe or whether power can find you anywhere is the question that Basma Mostafa from Reporters Without Borders will discuss with political scientist and intelligence expert Noura Chalati.
5.30 p.m. | Keynote inputs and audience discussion | »Is there a right to hate?«
With: Wolfgang Kubicki (lawyer and former Member of the Bundestag), Renate Künast (former Member of the Bundestag and Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection) and the audience.
The limits of permissible speech are being drawn ever more narrowly. The idea that freedom of expression also includes the freedom to say stupid or repulsive things seems hardly bearable anymore. Whether, however, there is a »right to hate?« is the question that Wolfgang Kubicki and Renate Künast will address in their keynote inputs, as they also explore the topic from a legal perspective.
7.15 p.m. | Conversation | »Georgia: And what if the turn fails?«
With: Nino Haratischwili (author). Chair: Doris Akrap (journalist/taz)
Author Nino Haratischwili will talk with journalist Doris Akrap about the current situation in Georgia and the question: »What if the turn fails?«
8.00 p.m. | Keynote address by Sofi Oksanen (writer)
This year’s keynote speaker is Finnish-Estonian writer Sofi Oksanen. Journalist Ijoma Mangold will introduce Oksanen’s work.
To round things off, Katharina Franck — an event not only as a solo artist, but soon also back on tour with her band Rainbirds — will play a short concert.
