Unkel Liest – Literary Pentecost Sunday

Unkel — a city with a literary tradition

The small town of Unkel on the right bank of the Middle Rhine has a remarkable literary history. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Stefan Andres, Hans Werner Henze, Peter Härtling, and many others have written in or about Unkel. Konrad Adenauer and Willy Brandt — two of the most influential political figures of the Federal Republic — spent years of their lives in Unkel; the Adenauer House and the Willy Brandt Forum are memorial sites today. This density of literary and political significance forms the backdrop for "Unkel Liest".

Readings at historic sites

The festival's concept is to bring literature into spaces not normally used as stages. Readings take place in churches, courtyards, bourgeois houses, galleries, cafés, and the Adenauer House. Visitors can choose from the program of parallel readings and move through the old town between events.

Literary walk

A guided literary walk connects historic sites and writers' biographies into a thematic city tour. At selected stops, short text passages are read aloud, fitting the respective location and its literary history.

Book market

A book market featuring antiquarian booksellers, publishers, and independent bookstores complements the program. Here you can find rare books, regional literature, new publications, and author signings.

Live music

Musical contributions — from singer-songwriters to string quartets and jazz — connect the reading stations and create atmosphere in the squares.