Poetry collections of 2026

The German-language poetry scene is currently more experimental, exciting—and political—than it has been in a long time. This evening offers a unique glimpse into it: We asked scholar and critic Antje Schmidt to share her five very personal highlights of this year so far. The result is a reading list of poetry collections published over the course of the year that are particularly compelling: the »fanbook« of a knowledgeable and curious reader in the year 2026.

Antje Schmidt will speak with two invited authors about their books and present the other three selected volumes in brief introductions on stage.