Literature

A lively, literary life and its promotion are an essential part of municipal cultural policy for the formation of an urban community.

Apart from experimental text projects which are developed in collectives – such as in the Internet – the authorship of a literary work is mostly a singular act which can subsequently lead to further communication processes, such as dramatic or cinematic manifestations, in the theatre and the film, as a starting point for sound and image producing synaesthesias.

In addition, a variety of interesting representations of literature for the cultural communication develops in new forms and different constellations.

The offer in Mannheim – and in the metropolitan region – ranges from high-level series of reading, which take place continuously, such as „lesen.hören“ (“reading.listening“) and „Europa | Morgen | Land“ (“Europe | Tomorrow | Country“) with the presentation of the latest German literature, over regular literary competitions, such as the annual Mannheim Heinrich-Vetter-Literature-Prize, to the recently conducted writing competition „BunteZungen_WorteFluss“ (“ColourfulTongues_FlowOfWords”) for the promotion of young literary talents.

Associations of authors such as the Literary Centre Rhine-Neckar e.V., the “Robbers ´77“ and the “Murderous Sisters“ form the literary life of the city just as a large number of freelance writers who present their works regularly.

The promotion of all activities in this genre of considerable status shall give impetus for an attractive perception of the City of Mannheim and the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region in literary terms.