May we introduce: Stephan Bader, our new co-director, who has been supporting the previous festival director Anna Kulp since February 2025:
In 2018, Stephan Bader was a guest at the
here at the readings in the drained Alpentherme.
Stephan Bader is a journalist and literary mediator. He has been working at the “n-ost Network for Border Crossing Journalism” in Berlin since 2019, before that he was head of the editorial team at “Literarischer Monat”. He is also Vice President of the Sofalesungen association. He is currently familiarizing himself with the festival structures and management tasks. From 2026, he will be in charge of the festival program and will manage the festival together with Anna Kulp.
Hans Ruprecht, long-time festival co-director and curator, will still be fully responsible for the program in 2025 and will curate it in collaboration with Stephan Bader in 2026. In this way, the continuity of what has proved its worth is assured, as is the active organization and securing of the festival’s future.
Jessica Brunner remains responsible for participant and media support, Daniel Bürgin is now in charge of our social media accounts, Martin Burkhalter looks after the hotels, and Alessandro Burri runs the festival office and sets up the infrastructure for the venues.
For 17 fantastic years, our webmaster Thomas Schaer (filmreif.ch) kept our old website alive and running. 2023 we could finally implement our long-cherished plans for migrating our site.
Since 2019, Gerhard Blättler has overseen the Festival graphics: gerhardblaettler.ch
During the Festival, we will expand our organization and moderation teams, German voices, our colleagues in the festival office, and photographers, many of whom are already a part of the Festival family.
29th Leukerbad International Literary Festival:
