About the Festival

Introduction

The Amsterdam Literary Festival (ALF) is an annual event, held each May, which aims to put the charming Dutch capital on the world literary map – especially in the lead-up to 2008 when Amsterdam is UNESCO World Book Capital.

Not only do authors and speakers from outside the Netherlands attend this festival but, equally importantly, its aim is to showcase the work of diverse writers and poets from its thriving international writers' scene.

The festival is already renowned for its out-of-the-box, unstuffy attitude and the quirky events it organises for readers. But there is always plenty to engage the writers: a panel on how to get published or workshops on subjects such as poetry, screenwriting and how to write a novel. With plenty for the kids too!

Past guests at ALF have included the BBC's Kate Adie OBE, award-winning novelist Sarah Waters and one of the UK's most exciting writers, David Mitchell. Its third edition in 2007 promises to be the best yet.

ALF 2005 »