The ninth edition of the Passa Porta Festival, the biggest multilingual gathering in Europe, is a highly anticipated event in the literary world. From 23 to 26 March, it will bring together a hundred writers in Brussels: these are the voices worth following in contemporary literature.
In AB, the Beursschouwburg, the Munt and La Bellone you can also discover the musical side of the festival. Here's a sneak peek for you!
SUN 26/03 Meet the author: Max Porter (AB)
Sometimes a writer emerges who changes the face of literature with their first book already. Max Porter is such a writer, and the ‘everseller’ Grief is the Thing with Feathers is such a book. We live in the age of Max Porter and he is going to present his new book to us, Shy. He will be supported in his performance by none other than Nicolas Rombouts, founder of Dez Mona.
SUN 26/03 Carte Blanche: Lisette Lombé en Diaty Diallo (AB)
With her first novel Deux secondes d'air qui brûle, Diaty Diallo is the revelation of the latest literary season. The French author cites the Belgian Afrofeminist poet Lisette Lombé as an important influence. The Passa Porta Festival takes this opportunity to offer the two authors a carte blanche on the theme of REFUGE, the main theme of the 9th Passa Porta Festival.
SUN 26/03 Amandine Dhée: Sortir au Jour (AB)
Writer and comedian Amandine Dhée presents her latest book Sortir au Jour. After exploring themes like motherhood and female desire, her newest book examines our relationship with death. During this performance, the author performs together with Sarah Decroocq (June Bug), who mixes the sounds of her electric guitar and ukulele with electronics. Together, they bring this contemplative text to life.
SUN 26/03 Dead Ladies Show #9 (De Munt)
Dead Ladies Show is a swinging show putting historical women in the spotlight to keep them from falling into oblivion. These "café chantants" feature writers and artists as well as scientists, explorers and other adventurers. At the premiere of the ninth Dead Ladies show, you will hear Filip Rogiers on Jacqueline Harpman, Simone Milsdochter on Ginger Rogers and Lotte Dodion on Yosano Akiko. There will also be live music; pieces by female composers Florence Price and Teri Moïse will be interpreted by soprano Raphaële Green and pianist Lies Colman.
FR 24/03 Counterforces: Lore Binon, IKRAAAN & Amina Osmanu (Beursschouwburg)
On stage, three singers (Lore Binon, IKRAAAN and Amina Osmanu) embody the incantations, spells and other fantastic tactics of various female archetypes. Their lyrics and script are based on a chapter of Dominique De Groen’s ambitious novel-in-progress, in which three girls forge an alliance to fight patriarchy and capital together. The singers have been given free rein to attack Frederik Croene’s mechanical/ romantic piano playing with their vocals. This performance makes up the artistic bridge between the Klarafestival and the Passa Porta Festival.
SAT 25/03 Marine Schneider en Brèche de Roland (La Bellone)
The Aurora Borealis and breathtaking volcanoes of cartoonist Marine Schneider (Hekla and Laki) are reimagined through the light notes of Brèche de Roland's inhabited music. These two artists find each other in their shared emphasis on love, nature and its phenomena, the invisible links between beings, places and things and the legacies of the past. It will undoubtedly be an original and not-to-be-missed moment during the festival.
