Over time, Hamburg has been the domain of many great writers: Arno Schmidt, Borchert, Lenz, Giordano, Heinrich, Rowohlt and Klopstock are just some of the names that come to mind. A city of such artistic prowess is the perfect place for a literature festival of world-wide renown. Annually, Harbour Front Festival attracts a great number of national and international authors who read from the season’s most anticipated releases.
The many single events that make up Harbour Front Festival have one thing in common: they all take place in and around the port area of Hamburg, with the Elbphilharmonie and the Cap San Diego museum ship as the centrepiece. There and in many other locations, visitors will be able to attend readings by some of the great names of modern literature as well as many newcomers. In addition, many events on children’s and youth literature are a regular feature of the festival.
In years past, the festival emphasised and celebrated Turkish literature and proclaimed that freedom of the arts contributes to international understanding while highlighting readings by authors such as Salman Rushdie, John le Carré, Ken Follett, Jo Nesbø and Deon Meyer. In 2019 national and international heavyweights like Martin Suter, Nicolas Mathieu, Tommy Orane, R.O. Kwon, Rob Hart, Anthony McCarten, Robert Harris, Jussi Adler-Olsen and Isabel Allende read from their works. See a list of the authors involved here!
Dates
2025 dates TBA
For additional information, please visit the official festival page (in German).