Opening night: It’s up to us & pen award
Mirthe Frese in conversation with writers Arnon Grunberg, Eva Meijer, Raoul de Jong, Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe) and Samanta Schweblin (Germany). Also with columns by Salena Godden (UK), Simon(e) van Saarloos and Jaap Tielbeke.
#StillWeRise: Writing climate (in) justice
About climate, art and activism, with authors Alexis Wright (Australia), Leena Norms (UK), Sanam Sheriff (US) and Benjamin Fro, Chihiro Geuzebroek conducted by Fiep van Bodegom.
#TheFutureIsFemale: the female convention
About the Istanbul Convention, feminism and activism, with authors Zsófia Bán (Hungary), Mona Eltahawy (USA), Dilâra Gürcü (France), Mithu Sanyal (Germany) and Nazmiye Oral, Kaouthar Darmoni, Laura van Dolron and Nicole le Fever (moderator).
#BackToEarth: Tout-monde
About a new perspective on our earth with authors Sulaiman Addonia and Annemarie Estor (Belgium), Amahl Raphael Khouri (Egypt) and Vamba Sherif, Chris Keulemans (moderator) and singer-songwriter Shishani.
#SoulCare: Radical Happiness
About happiness and inspiration, with authors Koleka Putuma (South Africa), Jens Meijen (Belgium) and Radna Fabias, Munganyende Hélène Christelle, Hassnae Bouazza (moderator), singer Bahghi and dancer Gil Gomes Leal.
‘It’s up to us’ as a festival theme
The central question for this time is how we come together as a society. We are regularly called upon to show solidarity with each other. We have to join forces; do it together. But which together are we talking about? How inclusive is this ‘us’? Questions that put both the Black Lives Matter and the climate movement on the agenda, as well as the corona crisis, make it clear that ‘us’ is not an easy matter. And is it actually up to us? The Winternachten festival 2021 is therefore given the motto ‘It’s ours’, borrowed from writer Eva Meijer, spring 2020, in the radio program Kunststof.
