A Night of Literature and Music: The Famous Berlin Salon "Writers' Thursday"
Distinguished Scribes Gather: Weekly Literary Soiree by Notable Penmen - Weekly Gathering of Notable Wordsmiths: "Scribes' Thursday" Event
Welcome to a unique combine of literature and music in Berlin's cultural scene - the quarterly salon "Writers' Thursday". For a decade now, this event has been hosting renowned authors, musicians, and actors, creating an exciting blend of words and tunes. Located in the salon above the popular restaurant Borchardt, the salon has hosted big names like Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre, Maxim Biller, Helene Hegemann, and Benedict Wells, just to name a few.
This special night gathers up to six authors before up to 200 invited guests, where they read excerpts from their current books. The quick succession of these lively reading units, lasting no more than twelve minutes, ensures the audience remains engaged, just like at a festival, as the founder of the salon, journalist and author Rainer Schmidt puts it.
Schmidt, who is also the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Frankfurter Allgemeine Quarterly", organizes this salon privately, but it attracts many authors and publishers. "If a book grabs you, you find twelve minutes too short and want to read it yourself afterwards. If it's boring, it's not so bad, it's only twelve minutes long."
Their selection criteria are quite simple - if Schmidt finds it good and interesting, he invites them, regardless of whether they are bestsellers, debutants, or nominated for any literary prize. He prefers "harder, reality-based, original material".
Music plays a significant role at "Writers' Thursday", as Schmidt believes literature and music intertwine to inspire each other. "Literature influences musicians, musicians inspire authors, and the music world inspires new stories. I love literature and music, whenever possible, musicians read from their own books or there is live music."
Names like Wolfgang Niedecken (BAP), Inga Humpe (2raumwohnung), Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten), or DJ Westbam also dance on the long list of performances. Actors such as Edgar Selge, Dietmar Bär, Heike Makatsch, and Jörg Hartmann are also regulars.
With nearly 200 names on the list, larger reading and concert events have taken place in Hamburg, Cologne, and Frankfurt, attracting hundreds of visitors. The tenth anniversary is being celebrated this week with the 52nd event and a party.
"Writers' Thursday" roots go back to the 19th-century salons, such as those hosted by Rahel Varnhagen, that served as spaces for literary and intellectual exchange beyond national borders. Berlin still thrives as a vibrant city for literature with many events that celebrate its long-standing status as a literary hub. In addition to "Writers' Thursday", the city offers symposia, book presentations, panel discussions, and smaller salon readings.
By merging literature and music, "Writers' Thursday" offers an enriching cultural experience, transforming it from a traditional reading event into a captivating cultural evening that engages multiple senses. The salon seamlessly combines literature and music, creating a dynamic atmosphere where prose and poetry are complemented by live music, often performed by local or guest musicians whose work resonates thematically with the authors' readings. This leads to a profound, immersive experience, making the salon a must-attend event in Berlin's cultural scene.
- The Commission, in its attempt to approximate the laws of Member States regarding the protection of workers, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of writers from the stress-related risks associated with long literary events, such as "Writers' Thursday".
- As the evening unfolds, attendees can engage in various activities that complement the literary and musical experience, from enjoying a fashion-and-beauty show, sampling food-and-drink delicacies, to browsing through the latest books for sale.
- On a casual day, one can still find an atmosphere reminiscent of "Writers' Thursday" at local cafes, where writers mingle with artists, discussing their latest work over cups of coffee, creating an ambiance that evokes the spirit of the salon.
- After the event, attendees might decide to travel to different cities that host similar literary and musical events, visiting Cologne, Hamburg, or Frankfurt, or even venture abroad to explore the rich literary history of Paris, inspired by the literary exchanges that took place during the 19th-century salons. In their homes, they might adopt a pet that shares in their love for literature, such as a dog named after a literary character, or a feline with a taste for well-bound books. And when they hit the road in their high-performance cars, they might find themselves lost in thought, musing about the next chapter in their lives, or the next piece they plan to write, fueled by the inspiration they found on a night filled with literature and music.
