Literature

With more than one million printed and digital media, Stuttgart City Library is not only a central information and education location in Stuttgart, but also one of the most important mediators of literature in the city as an organizer of lectures, courses and readings. Around 4,000 events on cultural and social topics are held annually at Mailänder Platz and in the 18 district libraries. There is a special program for children and young people, such as the  Leseohren e.V. (opens in a new tab) reading project.

 Stuttgart City Library (opens in a new tab)

As a venue for contemporary literature, the Literaturhaus enjoys an excellent reputation and sets supraregional standards: from readings, writing workshops and lectures to specialist conferences, exhibitions and theme evenings on old and new media, everything is on offer. In addition, the Literaturhaus acts as an experience space for literature and its border areas to art, music, theater, film and technology. In a stimulating salon atmosphere, people interested in literature can get into conversation with like-minded people and exchange ideas about current events in the literary world.

 House of Literature Stuttgart (opens in a new tab)

The Stuttgart Writers' House has been in existence since 1983, making it one of the city's oldest literary institutions. As a meeting place for authors from Stuttgart and the region and a venue for events, the Writers' House has a firm place in the city's cultural life. Readings, conferences and writing workshops are just as much a part of the program as networking, advice and support with questions about publication opportunities. In addition, the Writers' House organizes the biennial literature festival "Stuttgart Reads a Book" with great success. And those who qualify for one of the three scholarships offered by the Writers' House find a place of creative retreat for three months in the apartment on Kanalstrasse.

 Stuttgart Writers' House (opens in a new tab)

Another segment of Stuttgart's literary life is the Academy for Spoken Word. As an interdisciplinary forum on the subject of voice, the academy creates space for encounters with spoken language and poetry. The focus is on the conscious use of voice and language as a primary form of personality expression. With reading and storytelling series, speaking seminars and master classes, as well as literary excursions, the Academy conveys the culture of free speech, dialogue and discussion. In this way, it forms an intersection between art and culture and science and education.

 Academy for the Spoken Word (opens in a new tab)

The aim of the Stuttgart Reading Aloud Project is to give little "reading ears" access to the fascinating world of literature, while promoting reading skills and awakening the joy of reading. More than 550 volunteer reading aloud mentors from the  association Leseohren e. V. (opens in a new tab) read aloud to children and young people in small groups and also actively involve them in the events. The association Leseohren is active in numerous district libraries, selected daycare centers, and schools throughout the city of Stuttgart.

One institution in the poetry slam scene is ausdrucksreich e.V. As a recognized provider of independent youth welfare and extracurricular youth education, the association carries out cultural education projects and offers poetry slam workshops in schools and training courses for teachers. Rap workshops and creative writing courses complete the offer. A highlight for fans of literary performance is the big poetry slam for schoolchildren. For its commitment in the field of culture, ausdrucksreich e.V. received the Stuttgart Region Sponsorship Award.

 ausdrucksreich e.V. (opens in a new tab)

The Stuttgart Book Weeks are among the largest regional book exhibitions in Germany. Since the first exhibition in 1949, they have developed from a mere showcase for publishers to a cultural event for the Stuttgart region and far beyond.

The presentation of around 25,000 books, readings by renowned authors, panel discussions and other events attract more than 110,000 visitors every year in the run-up to Christmas. One section is dedicated to the electronic publishing and educational software sector. The organizers of the Stuttgart Book Weeks are the Börsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels, Landesverband Baden-Württemberg and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics.

 Stuttgart Book Weeks (opens in a new tab)

The Stuttgart Children's and Young Adult Book Weeks are the largest literature festival for children and young people in the region and present around 4,000 children's and young adult books, including new releases and popular classics, from around 80 publishers every spring.

The extensive program of events includes exhibitions, readings by renowned authors, children's theater and hands-on concerts, picture book cinema and craft afternoons for the little ones, as well as art workshops and workshops. The Children's and Young Adult Book Weeks also offer inspiration for parents and educators as well as guidance in the large market of children's media.

 Stuttgart Children's and Youth Book Weeks (opens in a new tab)

With readings, music, theater, films and much more, the "Stuttgart Crime Nights" series has established itself as a meeting place for crime fiction fans from Stuttgart and the region. The two-week festival, organized by the Stuttgart Crime Nights association, is a cooperative project in which the Stuttgart Youth Welfare Office, among others, is also involved. Authors from Germany and abroad are guests, and readings are often held in unusual locations. A highlight of the Crime Nights is the presentation of the Stuttgart Crime Prize, which consists of four divisional awards, including best crime novel and best debut crime novel.

 Stuttgart Crime Nights (opens in a new tab)

The Summer of Literature is a statewide festival initiated every two years by the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg foundation and dedicated to a new theme each time. To this end, the Landesstiftung sends out invitations to tender to municipalities and non-profit institutions. In this way, they can participate in the Summer of Literature with ideas. The Summer of Literature for Children and Young People also takes place at the same time.

The aim of the series of events is to bring literature closer to a broad audience of all ages and to awaken a desire for literature and reading. The program includes not only classical readings, but also interdisciplinary events in the areas of theater, dance and music. Performance shows that offer an unusual approach to literature are also exciting.

 Summer of Literature (opens in a new tab)

The annual Lit.Fest.Stuttgart aims to provide literature enthusiasts with a space for exchange and encounter - and to give previously undiscovered authors the opportunity to present their texts to an audience. The aim is to celebrate the enthusiasm for literature together. The cozy setting in the midst of Stuttgart's vineyards is also exceptional.

 Lit.Fest Stuttgart (opens in a new tab)

The Dragon Days Fantastik Festival crosses media boundaries and presents the genre as a literary, cinematic, digital, social and graphic art form. It opens up the wide world of fantasy and its influence on culture to visitors. The literary festival is designed for a broad audience. For professional audiences, Dragon Days also serves as a showcase and communication platform.

 Dragon Days (opens in a new tab)

Which novel should it be this year? This question is asked by the expert jury of the "Stuttgart reads a book" campaign. The result is then the subject of a series of events in which it is reviewed, looked at and discussed in front of and with an audience. Stuttgart Reads a Book" is organized by the Stuttgart Writers' House in cooperation with other literary institutions in the city.

 Stuttgart reads a book (opens in a new tab)

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Stuttgart was considered a Mecca for German poets and thinkers. Famous literary figures such as Friedrich Schiller, Eduard Mörike, Hans Christian Andersen and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived here or visited the city. Two prominent representatives of the Swabian School of Poets were born in Stuttgart: Wilhelm Hauff, who is best known for his fairy tales, and Gustav Schwab, who introduced ancient sagas and myths into the German-speaking world. Also born in Stuttgart are Johann Friedrich Cotta, influential bookseller and important publisher of Goethe, Schiller, Schelling and other literary greats of German literature, and the world-famous philosopher and probably the city's most famous son Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

World-famous Stuttgarters also include The Little Ghost, Hotzenplotz the Robber and Momo. These and other classic children's books by authors Otfried Preußler and Michael Ende were first published by Stuttgart-based Thienemann Verlag. And the creator of the caterpillar Nimmersatt, Eric Carle, went to school in Stuttgart and attended the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1966, the Irish poet, playwright and author Samuel Beckett came to Stuttgart to direct his television play "Hey, Joe" for Süddeutscher Rundfunk. Obviously, the collaboration and life in the Swabian metropolis appealed to him, because over the years he repeatedly came to the state capital to produce plays. He also arranged for other well-known writers such as Claude Simon and Marguerite Duras to work for SDR.