Festival Winternachten

Get inspired and carried away by more than a hundred writers, poets, performers, thinkers and young talents from around the world during the 29th festival edition - from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 January 2024 - for four atmospheric winter days. The programmes will take place in Theater aan het Spui, Filmhuis Den Haag, Paard, the Koninklijke Schouwburg, in theatres and libraries in districts of The Hague and at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and secondary schools in The Hague.

In early December 2023, we will announce the complete festival programme on the Writers Unlimited website, with detailed day-by-day information, programme descriptions and biographical profiles of all participating authors and artists. Subscribe to our email newsletter and stay informed!

From 1 September, ticket sales will start for three major festival events. Use the ticket links to order and pay for your tickets easily and directly through the online box office of The National Theatre.

 

Early-bird bookers: now discounted tickets for Friday Night Unlimited and Saturday Night Unlimited!

Until 27 December, buy early-bird discount tickets for the grand festival nights Friday Night Unlimited (Friday 19 January, 20:00-00:30) and Saturday Night Unlimited (Saturday 20 January, 20:00-00:30) on six stages at Theater aan het Spui and Filmhuis Den Haag. You choose your own route along some twenty programmes of 20 to 50 minutes each: talks, interviews, readings, music and film, with and by writers, poets, spoken word artists and musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Bookstore De Vries Van Stockum will offer a rich selection of novels, non-fiction books and poetry collections by the performing authors in the foyer.

Depending on the participating authors, the conversations and readings of Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited will be in English or Dutch. A route along English-spoken programmes is available. Readings of prose and poetry will be in the original language with simultaneous translations in English and Dutch projected on overhead screens. 

Ticket prices Friday or Saturday Night Unlimited (with 1 ticket access to all programmes of the evening in question)

1 and 2 September, Spotlight offer: €15

3 September to 26 December: €25

from 27 December: €30

(Young people up to 30 years always €15)

 

2024 Festival theme: Human Voices

Judith Uyterlinde, director of Writers Unlimited: "Every year, the festival works with an overarching festival theme. This thematic programming ensures cohesion in the programme, which is carefully compiled. For the upcoming edition, from 18-21 January 2024, the theme is Human Voices.

The theme Human Voices is a statement, in a time when compassion is sometimes forgotten. The festival wants to provide a stage for voices that appeal to our (fellow) humanity, voices that counterbalance the hardening and polarisation in our society. It is vital for democracy and freedom that writers - and, of course, everyone - can make their voices heard freely. The festival therefore opens with a focus on free speech.

The Human Voices theme is also prompted by the rise of programmes like Chat-GPT. With the speed at which new programmes have now come within everyone's reach, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a far-off show. And what does this mean for the future of literature, books and for the role of writers? During the festival, AI experts will discuss this with writers.

Moreover, human voices populate literature. The voice is where inner and outer worlds come together. Does a writer hear his character talking in his head? How do writers make use of those voices, in monologues and dialogues, or just by expressing what remains unsaid?

We think it is very important to focus on talent development, promotion of language skills and enjoyment of reading and literature in cooperation with secondary schools. This is why we provide programmes with writers in schools, encouraging young people to write their own texts to be performed during the festival. These stories will be heard on both main festival nights Friday Night Unlimited and Saturday Night Unlimited.

The illustration for the poster image was designed  by Vivienne van Leeuwen of Eindeloos  ontwerpen en uitgeven - Den Haag, at Writers Unlimited's request for the 2024 festival.

 

Let us keep you posted: subscribe to our email newsletter!

Be the first to get all the news and updates about the Winternachten festival programme and participating authors. We gladly keep you posted with news through our bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here.

 

About Writers Unlimited

Since 1995 Writers Unlimited organises the International Literature Festival The Hague. Many tens of thousands of visitors have witnessed conversations and readings by writers and poets on topical themes. The festival has grown out to become one of the most important international literary events in the Netherlands. Under the motto 'Give the floor to the authors', the festival has involved literature in the national and international societal debate. The programmes take place at various locations in the city of The Hague, including Theater aan het Spui, Paard, Amare, Theater Dakota, PIP, in neighbourhood libraries  and at schools and universities.

Writers Unlimited brings together writers, poets, spoken word artists, thinkers and scientists from all over the world to discuss topical issues, literature, poetry, art, science and society with our audiences. Annually in the Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague (next edition 18-21 January 2024), throughout the year in our Writers Series conversations at various locations in The Hague, in our Podcasts. And 24/7 in our freely accessible YouTube channel videos with hundreds of live registrations of our conversations and performances with authors from around the world.

Our activities are possible by structural subsidies from the Municipality of The Hague and the Dutch Foundation for Literature, and incidentally by various private funds, and cooperation partners such as PEN International, PEN Nederland and the Jan Campert-Stichting.

Thanks for support and cooperation
We are thankful for the support and cooperation we receive from our wonderful colleagues in The Hague, from the participating authors, from our volunteers and from our partners: the City of The Hague, the Dutch Foundation for Literature, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Dioraphte, Fonds 21 and the Lira Fonds.