LITFEST: Spectacular Currents

Under the motto “SPECTACULAR CURRENTS,” LitFest at Bard College Berlin once again celebrates Berlin's literary diversity by introducing writers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and creating connections between books and people.

The multilingual events in this series feature both German and international writers who live mainly in Berlin. Events include a novel reading by Argentine-born writer Ariel Magnus, a panel discussion on writing, translating, and publishing magazines in multiple languages, and a conversation with award-winning Indian writers Saskya Jain and Geetanjali Shree. A reading by students from Bard College Berlin, who will present their own creative texts, will open the second day of the festival.

The two-day reading series with authors who transcend linguistic boundaries will present works in English and German at Bard College Berlin.

EVENT PROGRAM

Thursday, 13.11.2025
18:00 - 19:30
Poetry and Zines Without Borders
Tobias Haberkorn, founding editor of the Berlin Review, Sam Zamrik, poet and graduate of Bard College Berlin, and Aurélie Maurin, translator, songwriter, and director of the Toledo Program, discuss their work as multilingual artists, publishers, and authors.
Language: English

20:00 - 21:00
Die Verbliebenen vom Tempelfeld: Novel reading & discussion with Ariel Magnus (Argentina / Germany)
In his novel Die Verbliebenen vom Tempelfeld, Argentine-born author Ariel Magnus tells a story about friendship, migration, and the unique atmosphere of Tempelhofer Feld.
Language: German

Friday, 14.11.2025
18:00 - 19:00
Reading by students of Bard College Berlin
Students of Bard College Berlin read from their own literary texts.
Language: English

20:00 - 21:30
Contemporary voices from India: Novel reading & discussion Saskya Jain and Geetanjali Shree (India/Germany)
Renowned Indian authors Saskya Jain and Geetanjali Shree read from their works and talk about writing, memory, and the many facets of India that are reflected in their writing.

Saskya Jain's Geeta Rahman at Championship Point (2021) tells the story of a young badminton prodigy in 1990s Delhi who comes of age in a rapidly liberalizing nation while grappling with personal grief and the aftermath of India's partition.

In her novel Tomb of Sand, Geetanjali Shree unfolds an impressive, poetic story centered on an 80-year-old widow who rediscovers her zest for life after a loss, befriends a transgender woman, and travels across the border to Pakistan.
Languages: English, Hindi

• Thursday, 13.11.2025, 18:00 - 21:30
  
• Friday, 14.11.2025, 18:00 - 21:30
  

Free admission

Location: Bard College Berlin, W15 Cafe
Waldstraße 15
13156 Berlin

Bard College Berlin, a state-recognized, non-profit German-American university with over 300 students from more than 70 countries offering a transdisciplinary education in the humanities and social sciences, invites the public to its campus in Niederschönhausen for LitFest 2025.