The Festival of European Literature in Tirana (FELT) returns for a second edition to celebrate European culture in Albania. FELT 2025 will feature 12 authors, representing 13 EU member states, and will take place from 2-6 December 2025. Organised by the European Union in Albania, in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute and in collaboration with the embassies of EU member states, it brings together renowned writers from Ireland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, France, Italy and Poland, who will connect with Albanian readers and visit high schools and universities.
With the aim of highlighting the diversity of European voices, promoting contemporary literature and engaging the Albanian public with authors and creators from across Europe, the festival offers a platform for dialogue, understanding and storytelling through dynamic formats.
“The European Literature Festival in Tirana is about creating spaces, arches and bridges that bring people together through stories. In partnership with the embassies of EU member states and the Italian Cultural Institute, we are presenting a dozen contemporary European writers – some of whom have also been translated into Albanian. We want this festival to be an opportunity for conversation, exploration and connection, where authors, their translators and readers come together to explore today’s world and its challenges through the power of literature”, said EU Ambassador to Albania Silvio Gonzato.
"The Italian Cultural Institute is pleased to collaborate again in an initiative that brings to Tirana the voices of European writers who embody the best values such as cultural diversity, multilingualism, the creative wealth of European culture and shares them with the Albanian public," said the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Alessandro Ruggera.
FELT will take place in several locations, from the House of Europe to the National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Popular Ensemble in Tirana, Vila 31 x Art Explora, the National Library “Sotir Kolea”, the Cultural Center “Tulla”, the Library “Babel” and the National Puppet Theatre, creating spaces for discussion and conversation, as well as facilitating the access of young authors to different intergenerational and specific audiences. The festival offers opportunities to explore ideas, genres, stories and concepts, serving as a forum for meaningful dialogue, as well as inviting participants to get acquainted with rich literary traditions and gain deeper knowledge about contemporary societies.
As literature nourishes the architecture of thought, developing our imagination and building consciousness, the European writers joining FELT, through their literary works and dialogues, explore a diverse range of themes. Among them are multilingual writing and belonging, writing in a minority language, identity, migration in contemporary literature and European cultural memory, mental health issues, the role of family in the lives and careers of writers, the challenges faced by young writers, societal challenges such as artificial intelligence, war and conflict, literature in transition, themes of displacement, growth and sustainability.
Reading sessions from the works of Maja Haderlap, Begoña Oro, Michał Rusinek, Barbara Stock (The Book of Vincent), Přemysl Vinš on the work of Karel Čapek, Djamel White – Fighting Words, Milena Selim, Ena Katarina Haler, Christos Kythreotis, Nadia Terranova, Dario Voltolini and Philippe Collin reveal the colorful literary landscapes of European authors.
The program includes daily engagements in schools and evening talks open to the public, as well as contemporary artistic performances, creative writing workshops, and experimental collaborations combining spoken word and music on the theme of literary memory. The festival reflects the linguistic, cultural, and thematic diversity of European literature. FELT invites participants to explore the transformative impact of reading and storytelling in shaping a more connected and empathetic Europe.
