2008 several Changes will be presented

On 26th May, the Trans-European presentations for the 32nd Annual German Literature Days 2008 will begin. Several changes will be presented.

On 26th May, the Trans-European presentations for the 32nd Annual German Literature Days 2008 will begin. Several changes will be presented.

The loveliest literature outing.

Since 1977, Klagenfurt has been the scene of readings and discussions about the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in the last week of June. These days of German literature have so often been called "the loveliest literature outing" that today nobody knows for sure who came up with the bon mot.

Reinhard Lorenz (Europe-coordinator), Michaela Monschein (chief organizer) and ORF Provincial Governor Willy Haslitzer are looking forward to the new challenges.

The literary critic Marcel Reich-Ranicki asked himself after the first competition what exactly had happened here.

"A literary festival? A competition with two prizes and a scholarship? A poetry market? A kind of exchange? Really a kind of workshop? Or even a literary fashion show? I think it was all at the same time - and that's good."

"For the 32nd time Host-City of Literature"

This year the reading marathon shall take place from 26th to 28th June. That the competition overlaps with the Euro '08 is not seen as a problem by Albert Gunzer (BZÖ), city councillor in charge for cultural affairs.
"This year is the first time that we will be a host city of a European football championship, but regarding literature, we have been a host city for 32 times and we are the literature capital of all German speaking countries."

Organizers and sponsors of the TDDL 2008: ORF Provincial Governor Willy Haslitzer, Klaus Leitner (Telekom), chief organizer Michaela Monschein, designer H. P. Maya, Heimo Strempfl (Musilhaus, Literaturkurs), City Councillor in charge for cultural affairs Albert Gunzer and Karl Princic, head of the cultural affairs department Klagenfurt.

Numerous changes from 2008

The reading marathon will be more tightly organized, but at the same time will have more audience appeal and be more international. Instead of 18 authors, 14 authors shall read on two days. For the first time, 3sat presenter Dieter Moor instead of Ernst Grandits will be presenting in Klagenfurt. Prior to this, he will be presenting the programme "les.art" to the Austrian audience. The opening of the competition and the presentation of the prizes will be broadcast live on 3sat during prime time.

From an experiment to an institution

In the second year of its existence, the writer Hans Weigel predicted that the competition would have a fast career: The competition is on it's way to develop itself from an experiment to an institution. The Days of German Literature are indeed an institution today. A lot has changed over the last 31 years. The central theme has survived: to present the public with literature and to give literature more publicity.

14 authors and two reading days

14 German-speaking authors will read from unpublished pieces of prose. Immediately upon the reading the seven-member jury chaired by Burkhard Spinnen will discuss the readings. The prizewinner is determined publicly by open roll call and is broadcast live, as is the entire competition, on 3sat.

Bachmann Prize goes Europe

In this year we are making an important step forward with our internet project Bachmann Prize goes Europe: the 14 competition texts and the coverage on the competition will be made available online in seven languages. The Days of German-language Literature have arrived in Europe.

Bachmann Prize goes Europe

New artistic concept

In this year the stage will be designed with totally different features. Not only the arrangements in the ORF theatre have changed, but also the positioning of the person reading and of the jury will be much more open and flexible. For the presenter Dieter Moor this will mean completely new ways of interaction, of defining his function.

Stage design

Klagenfurt on 26th Mai, 6.00pm

The ORF Studio Carinthia and the provincial capital Klagenfurt invite you on the occasion of the presentation of the 32nd Annual German Literature Days of the 12th Klagenfurt Literature Course and Translation to join them to an evening with friends of German-language literature.

Location: Robert-Musil-Literaturmuseum, Bahnhofstraße 50, Klagenfurt


As dialogue partners shall be present:

• Willy Haslitzer, ORF Provincial Governor Carinthia
• Head of Cultural Affairs City Councillor Albert Gunzer, provincial capital Klagenfurt
• H.P. Maya, artistic design/stage setting
• Reinhard Lorenz (Bachmann Prize goes Europe)
• Klaus Leitner (Telekom Austria)
• Edith Himmelbauer (Translatio)
• Heimo Strempfl (literature course)
• Michaela Monschein (Annual German Literature Days)

Presenter: Willy Haslitzer (ORF)

Vienna on 27th May, 10.30 am

Café des RadioKulturhauses
Argentinierstraße 30A, 1040 Vienna

As dialogue partners shall be present:

• Willy Haslitzer (ORF Provincial Governor Carinthia)
• Karl Princic (provincial capital Klagenfurt)
• Margit Czöppan (Managing Editor ORF/3sat)
• Daniela Strigl (juror)
• Werner Richter (translation association/Translatio)
• Reinhard Lorenz (Bachmann Prize goes Europe)
• Michaela Monschein (Annual German Literature Days)
• Authors who will be reading in Klagenfurt

Presenter: Willy Haslitzer

Berlin on 27th May, 18.30 pm

Literaturwerkstatt Berlin (Knaackstr. 97, Kulturbrauerei, 10435 Berlin)

As dialogue partners shall be present:

• Ijoma Mangold (member of jury)
• Willy Haslitzer (ORF Provincial Governor Carinthia)
• Michael Schmitt (3sat)
• Reinhard Lorenz (Bachmann Prize goes Europe)
• Michaela Monschein (organization)
• Authors who will be reading in Klagenfurt

Presenter: Willy Haslitzer (ORF)

Subsequently, at 8pm, we and the Literaturwerkstatt Berlin invite you to join the panel discussion.

Generation '68 and Literature

If Generation '68 was a political/social movement – then how much movement was there within literature? Literature was one of the factors that brought forth the protest movement. Since the 1950s, literature has dealt with such important topics such as accounting for the NS era, criticising the Restauration, capitalism and the culture industry.

It nonetheless came to a clash in 1967/68. The last conference of the Gruppe 47 in the Pulvermühle was severely interrupted by members of the Erlangen SDS and resulted in a row between members of the group. Some of the authors declared their solidarity. Hans Magnus Enzensberger strongly criticized this Kursbuch 15: "Alibi im Überbau".

The highlight of the criticism was the postulation "Tods der Literatur" (Literature’s Death). How alive was this literature that had been declared dead? What remains of the engagement of that time? What happens if you read these texts by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Peter Handke or Nikolaus Born today? Was Generation 68 also a literary movement?

With: Ulrike Draesner, Norbert Miller, Claus Ulrich Bielefeldm Wilhelm Pevny and Klaus Siblewski
Presenter: Ijoma Mangold
Reading: Frank Arnold

London on 28th May, 4.00 pm

Austrian Cultural Forum
28 Rutland Gate London SW7 1 PQ

Paris on 30th May, 11.00 am

Österreichische Botschaft Paris 6,
Rue Fabert, 75007

Madrid on 2nd June, 11.00 am

Circulo de Bellas Artes C/ ALCALÁ,
4228014 MADRID

Zurich on 3rd June, 11.30 am

Literaturhaus Zürich
Limmatquai 62, 8022 Zürich

Rome on 4th June, 11.00am

Melbook Store Roma, Via nazionale bei stazione Termini, Piazza della Repubblica

Laibach on 5th June, 11.00 am

Residenz der Österr.Botschaft
Štrekljeva 5, 1000 Ljubljana

Prag on 11th June, 11.00 am

Rakouské kulturní fórum v Praze Jungmannovo
nám.18 11000 Praha 1