Books, conversations and new perspectives
Buch Wien 2026: Five Days of Books and Ideas
From 25 to 29 November 2026, Messe Wien becomes an important meeting place for literature and contemporary discussion during Buch Wien 2026. Visitors can discover new publications, see authors live and choose from a broad programme of readings, conversations and debates. Fiction, nonfiction, literature for younger audiences and current political and social topics are all represented. The programme begins on 25 November 2026 at 5 pm with the Buch Wien 26 Opening on the ORF stage. Publicist, philosopher and lawyer Michel Friedman delivers the opening speech titled “Jeder ist jemand”. The opening immediately places literature within a wider conversation about society and contemporary life.
Buch Wien Poetry Slam Night
Literature in Vienna is not limited to printed pages. The Buch Wien Poetry Slam Night on 25 November 2026 from 6.15 pm to 8 pm focuses on spoken language, performance and the immediate connection between performers and their audience. Poetry slam artists from Austria, Germany, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland take to the DER STANDARD stage. The evening is hosted by Mieze Medusa and Markus Köhle. For travellers looking for a contemporary side of literature in Vienna, the event offers a lively alternative to the traditional reading format.
50 Years of the Bachmann Prize
On the same evening, Buch Wien looks back on one of the most important formats in contemporary German language literature. 50 Jahre Bachmannpreis: Was war, was kommt! takes place on 25 November 2026 from 6.15 pm to 7 pm in the 3sat Lounge. The year 2026 marks both the 50th edition of the Bachmann Prize and the 100th anniversary of Ingeborg Bachmann's birth. Barbara Frank, Wolfgang Popp, Helga Schubert and Kinga Tóth discuss five decades of literary debate and the future of the event. For visitors interested in Austrian literature and culture in Vienna 2026, it provides an opportunity to connect literary history with the present.
Helga Schubert: Die Woche danach
Helga Schubert is another notable literary voice appearing at Buch Wien. On 25 November 2026 at 7 pm, she presents her new book Die Woche danach. The book explores love, death and the possibility of beginning again. Schubert shows how personal storytelling and fundamental questions about life can open new perspectives at any age. The conversation and reading take place in the 3sat Lounge and offer one of the more personal encounters within the Buch Wien 2026 programme.
Rediscovering Vienna Around 1900
On 29 November 2026 at 2 pm, historian and author Philipp Blom turns his attention to Viennese Modernism on the DER STANDARD stage. Wien. Aufbruch um 1900 explores the cultural and social developments that shaped Vienna around the turn of the twentieth century from several different perspectives. Rather than focusing only on the best known names of Viennese Modernism, the publication also examines networks, social change and less familiar perspectives from the period. For travellers interested in Vienna history, art and culture, the discussion offers a current literary approach to an era that continues to shape the image of the city today.
Literature Museum Vienna: Exploring Austrian Literary History
Those who want to explore literature in Vienna beyond Buch Wien can visit the Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library. Its historic rooms introduce Austrian authors, literary movements and social developments through manuscripts, documents and multimedia displays. In November, the Literature Museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10 am to 9 pm on Thursdays and from 10 am to 6 pm from Friday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. The museum therefore works particularly well as an addition to a visit to Buch Wien 2026, offering another perspective on Vienna's literary and cultural landscape.
Hotel THE LEO GRAND: Discover Vienna Through Culture
After a day of books, conversations and Viennese culture, Hotel THE LEO GRAND provides a central starting point for continuing to explore the city. Located in Vienna's first district, just a few steps from Stephansplatz, the hotel brings historic architecture together with contemporary design. Many cultural destinations in the city centre can be reached conveniently from here. Whether travelling to Vienna for Buch Wien 2026, a museum visit or a longer cultural weekend, a stay at Hotel THE LEO GRAND offers the opportunity to connect literature, history and contemporary Vienna in one trip.