Leukerbad International
Literary Festival
Cancellation of the Leukerbad International Literary Festival
The past few days have been sad ones for the Leukerbad Literary Festival; instead of sending our program to the printer, we were forced to make the decision to cancel this year’s festival.
It takes audacity, stamina, and a dose of stubbornness to organize the events, but these are not always enough. Counting on the situation to become normalized enough for us to hold the festival entails risks at various levels. We cannot expect permission to be granted before the end of May, after the Federal Council’s next ruling. It is unclear whether or not international travel will be permitted. This year the sponsors’ commitments have often come late, occasionally with conditions, and sometimes the financial support was reduced or eliminated altogether.
Under these conditions it was not possible to ensure adequate financing for the festival. Continuing our preparations meant risking the festival’s future. We therefore have no choice but to cancel the 2020 Leukerbad International Literary Festival and to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2021.
We send heartfelt thanks to all the authors, our wonderful team, our partner institutions and supporters for their commitments, for the marvelous collaboration, and for your confidence!
Dear festival guests, we are deeply disappointed not to be able to see you at the festival in Leukerbad this year. Will you celebrate with us next year?
The 25th Leukerbad International Literary Festival will take place on the last weekend in June 2021:
With our warmest regards,
Anna Kulp & Hans Ruprecht, May 2020
Festival Directors
Donations for a cancelled festival?
We are still collecting donations! On the hand we will close the festival this year with a (hopefully minimal) deficit, and on the other we have plans—for next year and beyond.
In 2021, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary with a full program. With a certain amount of financial support we will be able to launch a small festival tour the weekend before the festival’s opening weekend. Your donation will also enable us to update the Leukerbad Literary Festival website and make this truly vintage site ready for the future.
With each donation donors will grant the festival directors a bit of independence and above all: feelings of joy!
Impressions of 2019...
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