Mainz reads a Book 2026

The reading festival Mainz liest ein Buch is a comparatively young format, developed in the model of similar “One City, One Book” projects in the USA and German-speaking countries. The initiator and organizer is the association Mainz liest ein Buch e.V., which brings together bookstores, libraries, schools, cultural centers, and private individuals for a joint reading week. In 2026, the 3rd edition will take place from June 7 to 14.

The Book 2026 – Milena Michiko Flašar

The book of the 2026 season is Oben Erde, unten Himmel by Milena Michiko Flašar. The author, born in Vienna and of Japanese-Austrian origin, tells in the multi-award-winning novel about a young woman who works for a cleaning company for “lonely deaths” and finds herself in the process. The book will be available in bookstores during the festival week, discussed in reading groups, covered in schools, lent out in libraries, and serves as a starting point for a diverse accompanying program.

Decentralized and Participatory

Unlike classical literary festivals, Mainz liest ein Buch does not have a central festival tent. Events take place throughout the city – in bookstores, libraries, churches, cafés, schools, cultural institutions, and even in private homes. Every resident of Mainz can become a host and organize an event about the book. Registration for events is possible until the end of February 2026.

Wissenschaftliche Stadtbibliothek

A central program point is the opening or main event at the Wissenschaftliche Stadtbibliothek Mainz on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:30 PM. Here, readers, reading groups, bookstores, and cultural creators come together for a great exchange about the book.

Literature as a Community Experience

Mainz liest ein Buch sees itself as an accessible, democratic festival that does not confine literature to a closed festival framework but embeds it in the daily life of the city. Anyone visiting a café, browsing in a bookstore, or attending a reading at a school during the festival week will inevitably become part of the festival – and make literature the talk of the town.