Nice one: PEN Berlin at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025
PEN Berlin is barely four years old – and is already presenting its fourth program at the Frankfurt Book Fair. As in 2022–2024, we once again have the honor this year of opening the main stage of the Frankfurt Book Fair with a panel discussion. Under the title »Literature Today: Can We Do Without It?«, writers Felicitas Hoppe, Marko Martin, Mithu Sanyal, and publisher Helge Malchow will join PEN Berlin spokesperson Thea Dorn on Wednesday morning to discuss the current state of literature.
We warmly invite you to this panel on the Centre Stage (Hall 4.1), as well as to the eight additional events taking place at the PEN Berlin booth (3.1 H34). Among those appearing there are Prix Goncourt winner Kamel Daoud, sociologist Harald Welzer, psychologist Stephan Grünewald, and PEN Berlin founding members Christian Berkel and Michel Friedman.
Buy your ticket here | Use the discount code penberlinfbm25 to purchase a trade visitor day ticket for €40 instead of €91.
Here’s an overview of our 2025 program | Frankfurt Book Fair event portal
Wednesday, 15 Octobre
11:00 – 12:00 a.m. Opening of the Center Stage (Hall 4.1): Literature Today – Can We Do Without It?
Has literature hopelessly overestimated itself? Or, in the face of growing unfreedom, is it gaining new dissident power? Felicitas Hoppe, Helge Malchow, Marko Martin, and Mithu Sanyal – Moderated by Thea Dorn.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.: When the Truth Goes to Hell
The Filipino author Patricia Evangelista explains how the suppression, murder, and persecution of government critics were framed by Duterte’s government as part of the fight against drug crime. Patricia Evangelista and her publisher and translator Zoë Beck in conversation with Ulrich Gutmair. (in English)
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.: #freeboualemsansal
The Peace Prize laureate and French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has been imprisoned in Algeria for almost a year, sentenced to five years for expressing an opinion. Prix Goncourt winner Kamel Daoud reports on freedom of expression in Algeria and the situation of his friend Boualem Sansal. In conversation with literary critic Iris Radisch. (in French with German translation)
Thursday, 16 October
11:00 – 12:00 a.m.: Kyiv, 1919 – Kyiv, 2025
The Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov talks with PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel about his country’s turbulent history and three years of war.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: I’m Having a Crisis
Stephan Grünewald and Saba-Nur Cheema discuss the inflationary use of the term »crisis« and what to make of our current feeling of crisis, in conversation with Ijoma Mangold.
Friday, 17 October
11:00 – 12:00 a.m.: Homeland: House of Feelings?
Heimat is among the most complex concepts in recent German history. What does it mean today? Hannah Lühmann and Harald Welzer discuss this with Bascha Mika.
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.: Democratic Awakening – and No One’s Watching
The recent protests and democratic uprising in Serbia have been quickly overlooked amid the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the rise of global authoritarianism. Marko Vidojković (Serbia) in conversation with Paul-Henri Campbell. (in English)
Saturday, 18 October
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.: Sputnik & Sunny Beach
What are the narratives that shape our lives? How do our families and our continent form us? In their new books, Katerina Poladjan and Christian Berkel tell stories of self-discovery across Europe – both fictional and autobiographical. Moderated by Lucy Fricke.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: It Doesn’t Get More German Than This
One refuses to leave Germany to right wing parties; the other delivers a desperate yet defiant plea for democracy in our country. Michel Abdollahi and Michel Friedman in discussion with Cornelius Pollmer.
Ukraine: PEN Berlin goes ilb ’25
Solidarity Evening for Ukraine
With Yevgeniy Breyger, Maren Eggert, Vassili Golod, Yuriy Gurzhy, Wolodymyr Jermolenko, Tanja Maljartschuk, Katja Petrowskaja, Paul Ronzheimer, Deniz Yücel and a video message from Serhij Zhadan.
Haus der Berliner Festspiele | Große Bühne | Schaperstraße 24 | Berlin
Friday, 19 september | 7:30 pm | VVK: buy your ticket here | Ticket: 18 € / reduced: 12 € / Solidarity ticket: 28 € / Solidarity ticket reduced: 22 €. With your Solidarity ticket, you support the work of PEN Ukraine. Solidarity tickets can be found in the ticket shop under the menu item “Ermäßígung”.
Programme: War has been raging in Ukraine for three years and the world order is in flux. But what does this mean for writers and journalists – and how do they view this conflict today?
Opening: Deniz Yücel
Panel Kriegsreporter: Vassili Golod and Paul Ronzheimer discuss the situation on the front line.
Panel writers: Katja Petrowskaja, Yevgeniy Breyger and Tanja Maljartschuk report on how their everyday life and writing have changed.
Reading from »Blick auf Frauen. Den Krieg im Blick« by Victoria Amelina (edition.fotoTAPETA 2025): Maren Eggert
Keynote: Wolodymyr Jermolenko about the precarious situation of writers and media in his country and the fight for independent journalism.
Music: Yuriy Gurzhy
Video message: Serhij Zhadan
Moderated by Alev Doğan and Jörg Thadeusz
The Ukrainian journalist and author Victoria Amelina was killed in 2023 in a Russian missile attack. In her memory, PEN Berlin, PEN Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Institute invite you to an evening of solidarity. PEN Berlin in cooperation with internationale literaturfestival berlin. Funded by the Friede Springer Foundation.
Guests:
Yevgeniy Breyger [Ukraine *1989] is a poet, translator, and lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Leonce and Lena Prize in 2019.
Alev Doğan [Germany *1989] is a political journalist and deputy editor-in-chief of »The Pioneer«. She hosts the weekly society podcast »Der 8. Tag«.
Maren Eggert [Germany *1974] is an actress. She has received numerous awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlinale and the German Film Award.
Vassili Golod [Ukraine *1993] is a foreign correspondent for ARD. He has been head of the ARD studio in Kiev since 2023. Together with Jan Kawelke and Salwa Houmsi, he runs the podcast »Machiavelli – Rap & Politik«.
Yuriy Gurzhy [Ukraine *1975] is an author, DJ, and musician. Together with the writer Wladimir Kaminer, he initiated the legendary Russendisko party series in Berlin.
Wolodymyr Jermolenko [Ukraine *1980] is a philosopher, editor-in-chief of the online platform »UkraineWorld« and head of the political department at Internews Ukraine. He has served as president of PEN Ukraine since 2022.
Tanja Maljartschuk [Ukraine *1983] lives in Vienna. She was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2018. Her most recent essay collection is »Gleich geht die Geschichte weiter, wir atmen nur aus«.
Katja Petrowskaja [Ukraine *1970] has lived in Berlin since 1999. Her debut novel »Maybe Esther« [tr. Shelley Frisch] was published in 2014. It has been translated into over 30 languages and has received numerous awards.
Paul Ronzheimer [Germany *1985] is a war reporter and deputy editor-in-chief of »Bild«. In 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyi awarded him the Ukrainian Order of Merit, which he declined.
Jörg Thadeusz [Germany *1968] is a journalist, radio and television presenter, and writer. His most recent novel is »Steinhammer«.
Deniz Yücel [Germany *1973] is a journalist at »Welt« and spokesperson for PEN Berlin, winner of the Theodor Wolff Prize. His most recent publication is »Agentterrorist – Eine Geschichte über Freiheit und Freundschaft, Demokratie und Nichtsodemokratie«.
Serhij Zhadan [Ukraine *1974] is the winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. He received the Jan Michalski Literature Prize for »Vorošilovgrad«, among others. He lives in Kharkiv and is now a soldier.
PEN Berlin at the Leipzig Book Fair ’25
AI and Literature – Exploring Possibilities
Friday, March 28, 11 AM – 12:30 PM | Forum Mensch und KI | Hall 5, Stand D 301
Panel discussion with: Jan Cornelius (author), Jonas Lüscher (author), Sara Wegmann (writer). Moderated by: Dana Grigorcea (writer, PEN Berlin Board).
Artificial Intelligence – Blessing or Curse for Literature? Can AI find a new language between nations and generations? PEN Berlin presents an event on the hopes that AI raises among multilingual authors. MORE
Stories of AI – From subversion to dictatorship
Friday, March 28, 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Forum Mensch und KI | Hall 5, Stand D 301
Panel discussion with: Robert Schwartz (former Head of the Romania Desk, Deutsche Welle), Simon Roloff (media scholar). Moderated by: Dana Grigorcea (writer, PEN Berlin Board).
Using the example of Romania’s rigged presidential election, we talk about AI-generated stories on social media and the implications for our democracies. MORE