34. Open Mike – Wettbewerb für junge Literatur
from 13.–14.11. at the PopUp-Gebäude of Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek
© Daniel Zenker
We are pleased to announce that the 34th Open Mike – Competition for Young Literature will take place on 13–14 November 2026. This is made possible with the kind support of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin, whose PopUp building at the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek will serve as the new venue for the competition.
For the current year 2026, the Open Mike has been secured through additional funds provided on a one-time basis. These funds were approved in the parliamentary process of the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin in autumn 2025 and are distributed by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt. In addition, the competition receives partial core funding through the institutional support of Haus für Poesie, which is also granted by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.
The call for submissions for the 2026 competition will run from 20 April to 20 May 2026. Further information will be available in due course at hausfuerpoesie.org.
The Open Mike – Competition for Young Literature is the most important German-language emerging writers’ competition for poetry and prose. The careers of many significant voices in German-language literature began with the Open Mike, including Karen Duve, Julia Franck, Terézia Mora, Ronya Othmann, and Kathrin Röggla. Since 1993, the competition has been held annually by the Haus für Poesie.