Alit – Literature Talks Day

What happens to authors whose work is categorised as ‘niche’?

They are at risk of disappearing from the public eye. Not because they have less to say, but because they lack the attention, the publishers and the financial resources. The Authors’ Network has been campaigning against this for more than ten years. And with this very aim in mind, it is inviting people to the Literaturhaus Zürich on 21 November to reflect on these issues together: Through workshop discussions, poetry readings, seven book launches and a world literature reading with Kinga Tóth, which – like so much at Alit – meanders between languages, genres and cultures.

2.00 pm | Opening

Alit’s new co-presidents, Isabelle Capron and Lea Schlenker, will open the day of literary discussions, introducing Alit, its diverse projects and the board members: Guy Krneta, Anja Schmitter, Donat Blum, Rudolf Bussmann, Maria Marggraf, Beat Mazenauer and Dragica Rajčić Holzner.

2.15 pm | Zurich Literature Workshop

Unpublished texts will be discussed at the Zurich Literature Workshop. This time with Patricia Büttiker (text), Natasa Ivancicevic (text, winner of the ‘Vorsatz’ prize from Zürich liest), Friederike Kretzen (discussion), Alice Grünfelder (discussion), Daniel Mezger (workshop leader) and Lea Schlenker (workshop leader).

4.30 pm | LyrikTisch – Just poems?

Once a month, around 15 poets from Switzerland meet as part of the LyrikTisch, led by Dragica Rajčić Holzner, to work on their texts together. On the day of the literary discussions, Sabine Abt, Marco Berg, Asiye Müjgan Güvenli, Ruth Loosli, Pedro Meier, Jeanine Osborne, Vera Schindler-Wunderlich, Walter Schüpbach, Claudia Sutter, Clemens Umbricht, Elisabeth Wandeler-Deck and Dragica Rajčić Holzner will read from their latest works.

6.00 pm | Discours Agités #7, 7 book launches from Kabul via Peru to the Bernese Oberland + drinks reception with 7 types of cheese

Dragica Rajčić Holzner presents the seventh essay in the online series ‘Discours Agités’, exploring the relationship between literature and direct democracy. Essais Agités and the series’ authors will also present the six latest books produced as part of the Alit project:

– ‘Discours Agités 2026 – 10 Swiss authors debate the Swiss literary landscape’ (essais agités, Donat Blum, Beat Mazenauer, eds.)

– ‘Kabul Street Philosophy. Reflections on Afghanistan’ (essais agités: Sabine Haupt, ed.)

– ‘The Burden of the Past. How I Set Out in Search of My Family’ (essais agités: Sabine Mackintosh)

– “Post-Patriarchal Poetry – An Attempt at a Post-Identity Movement” (essais agités, Goethe-Institut Peru, Donat Blum and Gabs Gabriel Valdivia, eds.)

– “I Like Life Even Without Me” (Authors’ Series: Dieter Fringeli)

– “I Am a Victim of the Colon” (Authors’ Series: Andrea Simmen)

– “Two Men in a Room” (Authors’ Series: Walter Vogt)

7.30 pm | World Literature: Kinga Tóth in conversation with Etumu Schoster and the audience about language, humanity, nature and machines: Tickets for the evening event can be purchased here.