Building Resilient Literary Networks

From 2 to 6 November 2026, the International Visitors’ Programme is inviting four guests from France, Poland and Ukraine to North Rhine-Westphalia for a thematic tour entitled “Building Resilient Literary Networks”. 
Cultural institutions are increasingly operating in an environment characterised by populism, challenges to democratic values and growing pressure on artistic and cultural freedom. The thematic tour will explore how international networks can strengthen the resilience of institutions in the literary sector. 
Through discussions with representatives from literary centres, festivals, residency programmes and advocacy organisations in North Rhine-Westphalia, participants will explore approaches and forms of collaboration, share their experiences and identify future networking opportunities. Among other things, the group will be guests at the European Translators’ College in Straelen, where they will exchange views with the management and associated artists and translators; visit Burg Hülshoff – Centre for Literature in Havixbeck; and meet with representatives from the Department of Creative Writing at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Also planned are a networking meeting with the various literary offices in North Rhine-Westphalia at the Literaturhaus Köln, as well as visits to events and guided tours, which will complement the discussions with cultural and historical insights into the region.