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EU-EPESEP Feminist Literary Event Report [Innsbruck]
- EPESEP
- Nov 20, 2025
- 3 min read
21 November 2025
In cooperation with: AEP – Arbeitskreis Emanzipation und Partnerschaft
Venue: AEP Innsbruck, Schöpfstraße 19
On 21 November 2025, a three-part feminist literary event was held at AEP Innsbruck as part of the European cooperation project EPESEP – Equal Pay, Equal Show, Equal Pension, led in Austria by ≠igfem. The programme combined research, writing practice and artistic performance to highlight gender inequality in the literary field and strengthen feminist authorship.
Public Outreach & Media Coverage
The event received significant public visibility through coordinated EPESEP-focused outreach:
📌 Read more on the ≠igfem website and social media channels.
📌 Read more on the AEP website.
📌 Hear the radio feature & interview: Freies Radio Innsbruck – Freirad
A dedicated radio interview was broadcast on Freirad, introducing the EPESEP project to a wider regional audience. In the interview, ≠igfem presented the project’s core goals—equal pay, equal visibility and fair pension conditions for women writers—and discussed the findings of the author visibility research and the development of the feminist reading list. This media coverage substantially increased public awareness of EPESEP and highlighted its relevance for the Austrian literary ecosystem.
Cooperation & Mentoring
The event was carried out in close cooperation with AEP Innsbruck. Special thanks were given to Cordula Schletterer, who contributed as a mentor for the EPESEP Feminist Reading List, strengthening the transregional collaboration between feminist organisations.
Event Programme
Research Presentation – Visibility of Women Authors in Austrian Print Media
Researchers Mag.a Dr.in Veronika Schuchter (University of Innsbruck, IZA) and Antonia Porst presented a quantitative and qualitative study analysing the representation of women authors in Austrian newspapers (data from 2016 and 2022). Key findings showed:
Women authors receive significantly less media coverage.
Evaluation criteria differ depending on gender.
Editorial structures reflect persistent patriarchal patterns.
This research forms part of EPESEP’s evidence-based approach to gender inequality in the literary sector.
Writing Workshop – Intuitive Writing
Led by: Sarah Milena Rendel & Verena Maria Wagner
A two-hour workshop explored feminist writing practices. Theatre-based exercises were used to make gender norms physically tangible—how a “woman should look”, how a “man should walk”, how a “person is expected to think”. Participants worked on freeing their writing from internalised patriarchal language and developing intuitive, authentic expression. This workshop directly supports EPESEP’s objective of empowering authors through skill-building and reflective feminist practice.
Evening Reading & Performance
With:
Gerlinde Hacker
Sarah Milena Rendel
Siljarosa Schletterer
Verena Maria Wagner
The evening began with an introduction by Gerlinde Hacker, presenting ≠igfem and the EPESEP project, its partners and European goals. The reading was designed as a multi-voice performance combining poetry, reflection, vocal experimentation and feminist critique. Themes included:
power structures and inequality,
women’s bodies and biographies,
identity and self-empowerment,
counter-narratives to patriarchal norms.
The performance connected artistic expression with the political aims of EPESEP by making structural inequalities perceptible through literature.
Outcome & Impact
The event was very well received, generating:
increased regional awareness of the EPESEP project,
strong media visibility through radio and partner websites,
strengthened cooperation between ≠igfem and AEP,
new audiences for feminist authors in Tirol,
a foundation for upcoming EPESEP activities.
Follow-up Projects (2026)
Under the EPESEP framework, several follow-up events are already planned for 2026 in Innsbruck:
Research talk
Writing workshop
Public reading
Theatre performance of “Nachsagungen” by Marlene Streeruwitz (Author Theatre Programme)
These activities will further expand EPESEP’s regional outreach and continue building feminist literary visibility across Austria.
Sarah Milena Rendel, Siljarosa Schletterer, Verena Maria Wagner and Gerlinde Hacker (left to right).
