From Book Talks to a Young Adult event, from literary film screenings to the NK Poetry Slam and of course The Night of Poetry, at the International Literature Festival Utrecht (ILFU) the city lives up to its title ‘UNESCO City of Literature’. You should definitely not miss these 5 highlights. Exploring Stories This year’s edition of Exploring Stories is now a full weekend event, with more than 25 international writers, journalists, politicians, poets and philosophers in four venues, signing sessions, music and conversations about the major issues of our time. Featuring Constance Debré, Layal Liverpool, Nicolas Lunabba, Brenda Navarro, Tommy Orange, Radna Fabias, Vamba Sherif, Tim ‘S Jongers, Tijs Goldschmidt, Elizabeth O’ Conner, Irwan Droog and many others. 28-29 September, TivoliVredenburg YALFU Host Samya Hafsaoui will interview some of today’s best YA and Fantasy authors. And like every year, you will be able to browse the YA market, attend signing sessions, and go home with an amazing goodie bag (with a surprise book inside). One of the authors that will be in Utrecht is Deborah Harkness, author of the renowned All Souls trilogy. 29 September, TivoliVredenburg Belle van Zuylenring 2024 Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich will be presented with this year’s Belle van Zuylen Ring, an international award honouring a writer’s body of work marked by social engagement. She will also give the accompanying lecture. 28 September, TivoliVredenburg Book Talk David Nicholls On 1 October, ILFU welcomes none other than David Nicholls, author of One Day, the novel adapted to screen about love, friendship, desire and ambition. 1 October, TivoliVredenburg De Utrechtse Boekenmarkt From children’s books to poetry, from novels to comics and from biographies to history books: head to the huge market on Vredenburgplein to buy yourself some second-hand books. 22 September, Vredenburg ILFU is from 21 September to 5 October 2024, various locations, ilfu.com Become an ILFU Member and receive a 20% discount on all events! Event International Literature Festival Utrecht 2024 Various locations Utrecht ILFU is the biggest literature festival in the low countries, lasting two weeks, presenting over 200 authors and reaching 20,000+ visitors. Date Sat 21 Sep to Sat 5 Oct View event