Literaturfestival Zürich

Literaturfestival Zürich (alternative spelling: Zürich Literature Festival, formerly: Openair Literatur Festival Zürich) is an annual week-long international literary festival in Zürich. It enjoys a reputation as one of the "best literary festivals in the world". The main stage of the festival is located in the midst of the sprawling nature of the Old Botanical Garden in Zürich. The Festival is jointly presented by Literaturhaus Zürich and Kaufleuten, the two major institutions for literary events in Zürich. Founder and director of the festival is Swiss conceptual artist and curator Andreas Heusser who is curating the program together with the management team of Kaufleuten and Literaturhaus Zurich.

The main program of the festival consists of premieres, performances and readings by international authors. Many world-famous writers have appeared at the festival in recent years, including John Coetzee, Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo, David Grossman, Julian Barnes, Roxane Gay, John Cleese, Leïla Slimani, Junot Díaz, Connie Palmen, David Mitchell, Rebecca Solnit, John Banville, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Marlon James, Xiaolu Guo, Peter Sloterdijk, Deborah Levy, Hua Hsu, Helen Macdonald, Teju Cole, Deborah Feldman.

The format "Words on Stage - Best of Spoken Word" has also established itself as a permanent feature of the program and closing event of the festival. Part of the festival's curatorial signature is its interdisciplinary approach: the readings are often thematically linked with projects from other genres, e.g. poetic installations, interactive radio plays, scenic readings, singer/songwriter concerts, silent film screenings, or interdisciplinary performances at the intersection of text, dance, and theater. In interaction with nature and scenographic design, the aim is to create a "poetic overall experience" that involves all the senses. That is why the festival is often called "Switzerland's most beautiful literary festival".