Renowned authors are coming to the port city of Sassnitz—this time under a theme that demands to be read twice: STOP IT!
Now in their fifth year, the Rügen Literature Days have become a staple of the island’s cultural fall season. From October 30 to November 1, 2026, renowned authors will once again gather in the port city of Sassnitz—this time under a theme that demands a second reading: LISTEN UP! It’s about stopping. And about listening closely. What happens when we pause and prick up our ears? For three days, the festival invites you to enjoy readings, films, performances, and debates—to listen and to join in the conversation.
The First Rügen Speech
To kick things off, Berlin-based writer and columnist Mely Kiyak will deliver the first “Rügen Speech.” Kiyak, recipient of the 2021 Kurt Tucholsky Prize and the 2025 Heinrich Mann Prize, most recently listened to her own life and ours in *Gute Momente*—capturing the sounds of the sea and the people of the Baltic Sea coast. For the Literature Days, she is writing a speech on letting go. Her speech marks the beginning of a series that the festival will continue every year going forward.
Friday: Decisions and Turmoil
Domenico Müllensiefen kicks things off with *Manchmal muss man sich entscheiden* (*Sometimes You Have to Make a Decision*). The Magdeburg-based author sends truck driver Sandra on a journey through Europe—in a gritty, humorous, and exuberant narrative about a woman who carries not only all of our burdens but also her own. Heike Geißler follows with “Michaela Kohlhaas,” the portrait of a cemetery employee who becomes an ostracized rebel against complacency. A character who defies all labels—including that of being a female reimagining of Kleist’s titular hero. This Kohlhaas stops so that we will listen to her. The novel was awarded the Saxony Literature Prize in 2026. The evening concludes, in cooperation with Lichtspiel Sassnitz e. V., with Christian Petzold’s film “Miroirs No. 3”(Germany 2025, 86 min.): the story of two strangers who could almost be a new life for one another. How does one stop grieving without betraying the loss?
Saturday: Losses, Withdrawal, Resistance
In “Losses,”Florian Scheibe observes a family as they prepare to take shelter in a bunker. When the patriarch plans a luxury bunker, everyone starts to hit the wall—a twist-filled and highly amusing novel about how there’s no escape, especially not within the family.
In “Withdrawal,”Christoph Peters tells the story of a writer’s alcohol addiction with unflinching honesty and bitter humor. “Drinking” and “Not Drinking” are the two parts of this novel; the author makes no secret of the fact that he is drawing on his own experiences here.
With “Das Wasser im August,”Ingo Schulze presents what is perhaps his most personal book: A writer travels to Mecklenburg for a reading and reads from an unpublished novella about his own youth. The older self listens to the younger one. Awarded the 2026 Uwe Johnson Prize. To round off the evening, the performance group Bar Tleby invites guests to a tavern in the west wing of the Grundtvighaus. Drawing inspiration from Herman Melville, the Berlin artists Michael Graessner and Sebastian Orlac ask the audience to refrain from doing something.
Sunday: Looking Back and Saying Goodbye
On the festival’s final day, the program leaves its main venue and moves to the Sassnitz Harbor Station. Thea Mengeler reads from “Öffentlicher Nahverkehr”: A young influencer gets off the train and takes the bus—instead of being stared at, she stares back. A highly topical novel about digital violence, shame, and the traps of self-reflection. The festival concludes with Gabriele von Arnim’s “Abschied leben” (“Living Farewell”), a poignant essay on the fears and impositions—but also on the strength and comfort—inherent in saying goodbye. A farewell reading in the port city—the Literature Days could hardly end more fittingly.
Quotes
“‘Stopping’ sounds like ‘the end.’ But the motto also contains a call to action: Listen! Listen to one another! That is exactly what this year is about—pausing and listening.”
Sebastian Orlac, Festival Director
“The Grundtvighaus is a place where people and ideas come together. We’re very pleased to be able to say that in our fifth year.”
Anja Sacher, President of Grundtvighaus e. V.
Tickets
The Rügen Literature Days are small but exquisite. If you’d like to attend, be sure to reserve your tickets in advance. The festival pass costs 45 euros; individual events are 12 euros. Advance reservations can be made at www.literaturtage-ruegen.de or by calling 038392 57726.
The complete program with all times and locations:
literaturtage-ruegen.de/programm_2026
The Rügen Literature Days are organized by Grundtvighaus e. V. and are sponsored by: the Vorpommern Fund, the Vorpommern-Rügen District, the City of Sassnitz, the Budde Foundation, and the Alfred Toepfer Foundation (F.V.S.).
Press contact: Sebastian Orlac ·orlac@literaturtage-ruegen.de
