Lautern liest – Reading Festival Kaiserslautern

Reading Festival in the Anniversary Year

Lautern liest is Kaiserslautern's most traditional literary event series. In the anniversary year 2026, celebrating the 750th anniversary of its city rights, the series is being significantly expanded: the occasional readings are becoming an eleven-day reading festival, incorporating venues throughout the city center from June 9th to 19th, offering a dense program of author readings, book presentations, discussion formats, and special literary events.

Pfalzbibliothek as the Hub

The central venue is the Pfalzbibliothek, which, as a regional special collection library, holds extensive holdings on the Palatinate region and its literary history. The opening on Tuesday, June 9th at 7 PM will set the tone for the entire festival with a festive literary kickoff event. In the following days, numerous readings and discussions will take place here.

Other Venues in the City

The Thalia bookstore will provide its space for publisher presentations and readings by bestselling authors. The Apostelkirche offers an atmospheric backdrop for poetry readings and musically accompanied literary evenings. The Blaue Blume Wortwerkstadt, a literary space with a workshop character, complements the program with writing and workshop formats, as well as smaller readings and experimental formats. Additional locations in the city center will form a literary map, making the festival flexible and accessible.

Children and Families

Young audiences are also specifically targeted. The Japanese Kamishibai storytelling theatre, where stories are told with picture cards in a small wooden frame, is featured multiple times in the program. Additionally, there are readings for various age groups, from kindergarten to young adult readers, and special family formats that make the reading festival an event for all generations.