From September 20 to October 19, 2025, Hamburg will once again be transformed into a major stage for literature: The Harbour Front Literature Festival returns!
2025 marks not only a new beginning, but also the continuation of a proven tradition: Hamburg's port will once again become a lively stage for literary discoveries, intelligent conversations, and great stories.
Joachim Lux, artistic director of the festival, says:
"The festival remains true to the spirit of its founders, but at the same time breaks new ground. The unique connection between literature and the port city is more central than ever. We want to reimagine spaces, expand boundaries, and make places tangible that showcase literature in a very special light – on ships, in theaters, in churches, and in clubs. We look forward to inspiring encounters and to what we hope will be a wild and thoughtful literary autumn, quirky, entertaining, and glamorous. To a public festival for Hamburg!"
With great commitment and passion, the Harbour Front Literature Festival team has worked to ensure the festival's future. Together with many supporting partners, they are working toward ensuring that the Harbour Front Literature Festival plays a central role in Germany's literary life in the years to come.
Audiences can look forward to a variety of top-class events: from international stars such as Isabel Allende, Ian McEwan, Samantha Harvey, and Mieko Kawakami to German-speaking greats such as Caroline Wahl, Martin Suter, Marc-Uwe Kling, Heinz Strunk, Rocko Schamoni, and Katja Riemann, as well as exciting new voices from the literary world. The "Now" and "Future" program sections address the pressing questions of our time – with a special focus on social developments, sustainability, and visions of the future.
