About a year ago, I first took you to Lübeck Children's Literature House at Fleischhauerstraße 71 ZWISCHENZEILEN You can read the blog post again here Bücherpiraten Festival (Book Pirates Festival ), which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Anneke Brors from Bücherpiraten e.V. and Léa Oltmanns , one of the three volunteers who organize the festival, invited me for coffee and a glimpse into the world of children's and young adult literature. Follow me and be inspired to visit!
Léa and her fellow organizers Linnea Müller and Mara Ostertag are former members of the Book Pirates festival, Léa tells me. She herself is involved as an organizer for the third time. In my opinion, these three literature enthusiasts are by no means alumni, but rather very much "present-day" participants, as they dedicate many weeks and months of their free time to preparing the festival. The planning begins in the winter of the preceding year.
How does it all work? How are the books selected to play a central role at the festival? Léa explains. Her eyes sparkle, her face radiating passion for the event and the theme of "reading." Lübeck schoolchildren make a significant contribution to the program. This year, for the first time, 600 children and teenagers participated, sharing their favorite books with the organizing team. A record number that the festival organizers are justifiably proud of. "This clearly demonstrates the appreciation for the work of the Children's Literature House in Lübeck and the Bücherpiraten (Book Pirates). The submissions give us a very clear picture of which authors are currently captivating the hearts and minds of young readers," says Léa.
Robber daughters and sons
Author Alice Pantermüller was therefore a must-have guest at the 20th Bücherpiraten Festival. Twenty volumes of her popular "Mein Lotta Leben" series have been published since 2012. In Lübeck, Alice Pantermüller will read from " Außergewöhnliche Fälle der Florentine Brix" (Extraordinary Cases of Florentine Brix ).
A benefit reading on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. is dedicated to the world-famous "Ronja the Robber's Daughter." Chiara Schoras will read the text . The scenes set in Mattis' Forest will be illustrated live on stage.
“This summer,” he said, looking at Ronja, “yes, this summer I will carry within me until the end of my life, I know that.”
Astrid Lindgren, Ronja the Robber's Daughter
Heidi Viherjuuri will also be a guest . She's bringing Hilja, who is incredibly adventurous and curious, loves to be silly, and sometimes even pushes boundaries. Hilja has two wonderful grandmothers: the Raincoat Grandma and the Currant Grandma. Together with Hilja, they go mushroom and berry picking in the Finnish countryside, and during a conversation about the " right of public access ," Hilja realizes that something must be wrong with the term. "Why isn't it also the right of all children, grandmothers, people, and animals?" Hilja asks, and writes a letter to the president, who eventually replies and announces a change in the law.
And then there are also books like "The Monster School" and "The Sound Merchant." I can't possibly introduce all the books here, even though every single one deserves it. Léa, Mara, and Linnea have put together such a vibrant selection.
Festival artist Lena Winkel
, it also offers a range of activities that encourage creative expression and participation. These include a sound workshop aimed at everyone aged 8 and up. (That includes me, as I've always found it fascinating to guess which tools and tricks are used to create sound effects in films and audiobooks.)
And then there's the zine workshop with illustrator Lena Winkel , which offers participating children the opportunity to invent and draw characters. Lena Winkel is this year's festival artist and also created Have We Forgot Anything the festival Wednesday, September 13th
On opening day, the Children's Literature House, a " house full of stories to wander and marvel at ," invites you to explore every nook and cranny, solve puzzles, do crafts, and be amazed from 3:00 to 6:00 pm – admission is free. An exhibition of works by the festival artist, which you can already see on the ground floor, is also on display. You'll quickly discover what Lena Winkel loves to draw most. I won't tell you here.
