Get Outta Town

Looking for a poetry destination in another part of Germany? You could do worse than the International Poets' Gathering in Münster. On 26 May, the City of Münster will award their poetry prize jointly to Derek Walcott and his German translator, Werner von Koppenfels. The prize is for Walcott’s book entitled “White Egrets” ("Weiße Reiher") in which he explores his life in St. Lucia, Europe and America in a series of 54 elegiac poems. What better excuse to see the Nobel-prize-winner honored here in Germany?

Nordic Talking

14 May: A month-long celebration of northern European writers comes to an end this week at the Gasteig. Don't miss the final reading and interview (translated into German) with Lars Saabye Christensen from Norway and Kirsten Hammann from Denmark. Gasteig, Black Box, 20:30, € 7.

Books out of the Fire

Unburnable Book by Rocketdock

May 10: Bookfans are on the streets today, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the book burnings that took place in Berlin and other German cities on May 10, 1933. On Odeonsplatz and Königsplatz here in Munich there is a day-long "Reading Against Forgetting" of many of the banned authors whose books were burned: Franz Kafka, Heinrich Heine, Erich Kästner, Bertolt Brecht, Robert Musil...the list is long. Go here to find it.

Bücherlesung has been holding readings on this day since 2005 to remind us: "Burned, forbidden, banned - the list of writers is long. Uncounted intellectuals and artists were robbed of their homeland and work, many were murdered or led to their deaths. Never forget!"