Upcoming and ongoing
Upcoming
25 August – 27 August 2026
REKU REKU Storytelling Festival
Reku Reku is a storytelling festival organised by Publishing House Goga in Novo mesto, Slovenia. The 2026 festival explores universal themes such as youth, power, memory, everyday life and European identity, while concluding with an evening of music inspired by Brazilian bossa nova.
Upcoming
11 October – 15 October 2026
FILIT - Festivalul Internațional de Literatură și Traducere
The Iași International Festival of Literature and Translation – FILIT is a project that brings together in Romania hundreds of professionals in the cultural field: writers, translators, publishers, festival organizers, literary critics, librarians, book distributors, managers and journalists.
Upcoming
19 October – 25 October 2026
Conrad Festival
Now of age, yet still disobedient – it is with this mindset that we announce the 18th edition of the Conrad Festival. The festival’s patron, Józef Konrad Korzeniowski, carried the gene of disobedience within him. Before we venture onto turbulent waters to explore further manifestations of rebellion, let us first sail against the current – back to the source.
Upcoming
23 October – 28 October 2026
Wintertuinfestival 2026
From 23 to 28 November 2026 Nijmegen is dedicated to spoken stories. For six days it fills Wintertuinfestival downtown with literature, performance, art, music and meeting. You will discover new and established voices from home and abroad, sharp stories and surprising forms. With among others Nadia in Vries, Tijl Nuyts and writer-in-residence Temo Rekhviashvili.
Upcoming
6 November – 25 November 2026
Festival Eñe 2026
This year, the festival will place poetry at the heart of the conversation—a genre capable of illuminating the present, building bridges, and reminding us of the power of the word in the face of discouragement.
Past events
6 June 2026
Conversations #9: On audience
In this ninth edition of Conversations, moderated by CELA director Frank Tazelaar and CELA project manager Simina Popa, a panel of international literary experts will discuss literary audiences. What is the purpose of literary events, and what kind of audiences should they try to reach? What changes do we see in audiences for literary festivals? Are there differences within Europe? What is the role of organisers in this? And how might they innovate towards the future?
27 November – 29 November 2025
Wintertuinfestival 2025
Listen, watch, and be inspired by distinctive stories during the WintertuinFestival! From November 24th to 29th, 2025, expect a vibrant program packed with established names and emerging talent. Whether you attend a theatrical performance, meet your favourite emerging author, or listen to one of the many interviews or presentations, expect a festival full of experimentation, entertainment, and exploration.
13 November – 14 November 2025
Festival Eñe 2025: Pleasure
The Eñe Festival is a renowned literary event that has been running in Madrid since 2009. Every year, when autumn dyes the city with warm colors, Madrid becomes the epicenter of creativity and passion for literature in this great literary celebration.
22 October – 26 October 2025
Iași International Literature and Translation Festival
The organizers of the Iași International Literature and Translation Festival - FILIT announce the list of the first guests who will participate in the 13th edition of the event, which will take place between October 22-26, 2025.
20 October – 26 October 2025
The Conrad Festival
We will seek radical hope at the 17th International Joseph Conrad Literature Festival in Kraków, taking place between October 20 and 26. Guests include such authors as Kamel Daoud, Vincenzo Latronico and Emily St. John Mandel. The event also hosts the cultural analyst and strategist Sem Devillart.
27 June – 29 June 2025
XVII KROKODIL Festival
When the earth shakes, and when everyone tells us to be silent, we choose to write, create, and erase the boundaries between art and real life. Under pressure, but — together. Because, when the pressure overwhelms us, we resist with solidarity and engaged words. No pressure, under pressure!
2 June 2025
La Grande Invasione
On 2 June, the second event organised by Holden will be at the literary festival La Grande Invasione in Ivrea, where Martino Gozzi will dialogue with three guest CELA authors and their translators. The meeting will be held at the Book Gallery, and will feature the writer Pete Wu from Amsterdam and his translator Jessica Rostro Benigno; the writer Maria Karpińska from Poland together with her translator Paola Pappalardo and writer Kike Cherta accompanied by translator from Spanish Martino Gandi.
29 May – 1 June 2025
International Book Arsenal Festival
What do the numerous untranslatables tell us—words that exist in one language but are absent in another? Are then slightly different realities meant, from language to language, from society to society? And what if the experiences of these societies differ radically? Can language reliably convey the experience of one to another?
15 May – 18 May 2025
Book World Prague
In 2025, Book World Prague celebrates its 30th edition — a milestone honouring three decades of literature, dialogue, and discovery. This year’s motto, “30! Energy of the Youth – Wisdom of Books”, reflects the dynamic interplay between new literary voices and the enduring power of the written word.