Who we are
Rafael-Evitan Grombelka, handverlesen, March 2024 © Andrea Vollmer
Rudi Burkhardt and Lara Rüter, May 2024 © Natalia Reich
Aaiún Nin, Literatures in Exile, December 2024 (c) Haus für Poesie
An evening for Friederike Mayröcker, (f.l.t.r.) Uljana Wolf, Peer Trilcke, Marcel Beyer, Ann Cotten, Frieder von Ammon, December 2024 (c) Natalia Reich
Kassandra Wedel, handverlesen, March 2024 © Andrea Vollmer
Don Mee Choi and Uljana Wolf, February 2023 © Natalia Reich
Sasha Marianna Salzmann, Nadja Küchenmeister © Natalia Reich
Haus für Poesie in Berlin stands for unique, often multilingual poetic event formats. We regard poetry as an independent art form that goes beyond the traditional literary event. Due to its openness and its permeability to other art forms, poetry is not limited to readings, but opens up many exciting possibilities for creatively engaging with spaces and artistic practices.
In addition to our extensive monthly program, workshops in poetic education and the globally unique platform Lyrikline are central to our work at Haus für Poesie. We also organize one of Europe’s most renowned and largest poetry festivals, Poesiefestival Berlin, as well as Zebra Poetry Film Festival, one of the oldest international festivals for poetry films.
Since 1993, Haus für Poesie has hosted Open Mike, an important competition for young literature. In addition, since 2023, the series Vocations focuses on all forms of vocal and musical practices rooted in poetry.
These and many other temporary projects have been continuously developed since 1991, when Haus for Poesie was known as literaturWERKstatt berlin. Many of our projects are based on concepts conceived collaboratively with artists and curators in open, participatory, and transdisciplinary processes. We present poetry in all languages, translated into both German and English, and actively promote German-language poetry as well as poets from around the world through our extensive cooperation network and our online platform Lyrikline.
Haus für Poesie is the only publicly funded literary institution in Germany dedicated solely to poetry. It receives funding from the Department of Culture and Social Cohesion of the State of Berlin and is operated by the Non-Profit Association Literaturbrücke Berlin e.V.