Wall of Fame
2024
Dominik Muheim
Born 1992 in Basel.
Swiss spoken word author and cabaret artist.
Five-time Swiss poetry slam champion.
Winner of the Salzburger Stier 2024.
Festival appearance: 2024
Häberli Oggier
Artist duo consisting of the two Bernese musicians and language artists Lorenz Häberli and Luc Oggier. They are better known under their band name 'Lo & Leduc'. Their song “O79” is one of the best-known Swiss pop hits and topped the charts for weeks in 2018.
Festival appearance: 2024
Nicola Steiner
Born 1973 in Berlin. Lives in Zurich.
German-Swiss presenter (SRF Literaturclub), cultural journalist and director of the Literaturhaus Zürich since 2024.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2024
2023
Marco Gurtner
born 1993 in Thun.
Swiss slam poet, musician and presenter,
Swiss poetry slam champion, 2019.
Festival appearance: 2022 (Words on Stage, moderation).
Ozan Zakariya Keskinkılıç
1989 in Hessen, lebt in Berlin.
Deutscher Politwissenschaftler und Autor.
Festivalauftritt: 2023
David Mitchell
Ulrike Haidacher
born 1985 in Graz. Lives in Vienna.
Austrian cabaret artist and author.Half of the theater cabaret duo "Flüsterzweieck".
Winner of the Austrian Cabaret Prize 2017 and the
Austrian Literature Prize for short stories 2022.
Festival appearance: 2023 (Words on Stage)
Sascha Rijkeboer
geb. 1994
Schweizer Trans-Aktivist*in, Performer*in und Kolumnist*in.
Festivalauftritt: 2023
Serena Dankwa
Born 1975.
Swiss social anthropologist, gender researcher, television presenter and journalist.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2023
2022
Wolf Haas
Born 1960 in Maria Alm am Steinernen Meer.
Austrian bestselling author ('Brenner' crime series).
Festival appearance: 2022
Fine Degen
born 2001 in Basel.
Swiss slam poet,
U22 Swiss Poetry Slam Champion 2022.
Festival appearance: 2022 (Words on Stage)
Marco Gurtner
born 1993 in Thun.
Swiss slam poet, musician and presenter,
Swiss poetry slam champion, 2019.
Festival appearance: 2022 (Words on Stage, moderation).
2021
Leïla Slimani
Born 1981 in Rabat, Morocco. Lives in Paris.
French-Moroccan writer
('The Perfect Nanny'), winner of the Prix Goncourt
Festival appearance: 2021
Alice Hasters
Born 1989 in Cologne.
German author and feminist
("What white people don’t want to hear about racism, but should know anyway").
Festival appearance: 2021
Jonas Lüscher
Born 1976 in Schlieren, Zurich.
Swiss writer,
winner of the Swiss Book Prize
Festival appearance: 2021
Salome Hohl
Born 1985 in Wolfhalden.
Art historian and curator,
Director of the Cabaret Voltaire since 2020.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2021
Nora Zukker
Born 1974 in Wädenswil.
Literary editor and author.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2021
Christoph Ransmayr
Margarete Stokowski
born 1986 in Zabrze, Poland. Lives in Berlin.
Polish-German author, columnist and feminist.
("Untenrum frei")
Festival appearance: 2021
KT Gorique
Born 1991 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Swiss rapper and dancer,
Winner of the Swiss Music Award.
Festival appearance: 2021 (Poetry of Pop)
Anuschka Roshani
Born 1976 in West Berlin.
German journalist and writer.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2021
2019
Julian Barnes
born 1946 in Leicester, UK.
English bestselling author
Booker prize winner.
Festival performance: 2019
Deborah Feldman
Judith Schalansky
Roxane Gay
born 1974 in Omaha, Nebraska.
US-American feminist and bestselling author ('Bad Feminist')
Festival performance: 2019
Juri Steiner
born 1969 in Zurich.
Swiss art historian, curator and TV presenter
(SRF “Sternstunde Philosophie”)
Festival appearances as moderator: 2019
2018
Rebecca Solnit
born 1961 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
US-American writer, feminist and essayist
('Men Explain Things to Me').
Festival performance: 2018
Britta Spichiger
born 1968.
Literary journalist.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2018
Catherine Newmark
born 1976.
Swiss philosopher and journalist.
Festival appearances as moderator: 2018
Irvine Welsh
born 1958 in Leith, Edinburgh.
British bestselling author
('Trainspotting').
Festival performance: 2018
2017
John M. Coetzee
born 1940 in Cape Town, lives in Adelaide, Australia.
South African writer.Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature,
two-time Booker Prize winner.
Festival performance: 2017
Judith Hermann
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Frank Spilker
born 1966 in Herford.
German musician, songwriter and author. He became known as singer and guitarist of the band 'Die Sterne'.
Festival performance: 2017 (Poetry of Pop)
Anthony McCarten
born 1961 in New Plymouth.
New Zealand writer, playwright, screenwriter and film producer.
Festival performance: 2017
2016
David Mitchell
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
Shumona Sinha
Judith Holofernes
born 1976 in West-Berlin.
German Musician, songwriter and author. She became known as singer and guitarist of the band 'Wir sind Helden'.
Festival performance: 2016
Nell Zink
2015
Viktor Jerofejev
Sven Regener
born 1961 in Bremen.
German musician, songwriter and bestselling author ("Berlin Blues"). He became known as singer and lyricist of the band 'Element of Crime'.
Festival performance: 2015
Michail Schischkin
born 1961 in Moscow.
Russian writer.
Winner of the three most important literary awards of Russia.
Festival performance: 2015
Wladimir Kaminer
2014
Tino Hanekamp
born 1979 in Wippra, lives in Mexico.
German music journalist and bestselling author
('So was von da').
Festival performance: 2014
2013
Wilhelm Genazino
born 1943 in Mannheim,
died 2018 in Frankfurt.
German writer,
Georg Büchner Prize Winner.
Festival performance: 2013
Olga Grjasnowa
Friedrich Achleitner
born 1930 in Schalchen,
died 2019 in Wien.
Austrian writer, sound poet, member of the legendary Wiener Gruppe (Vienna group).
Festival performance: 2013
Martin Felder
Jannek Petri
Born 1975 in Berlin.
German actor and filmmaker.
Festival appearance as speaker: 2013
Gerhard Rühm
born 1930 in Vienna.
Austrian sound poet, composer, visual artist, member of the legendary Wiener Gruppe (Vienna Group).
Festival performance: 2013
Michael Pfister
Born 1967 in Zurich.
Doctor of Philosophy, translator, TV presenter (SRF “Sternstunde Philosophie”).
Festival appearances as moderator: 2013
