EU-EPESEP Symposium #2 will happen in Bezirksamt Margareten [Vienna]!

01. to 03. Oct 2026, Bezirksamt Margareten, Rechte Wienzeile 105, 1050 Vienna

Three days of literature, exchange, and feminist perspectives!

Women authors from EU Member States and international partner countries will come together in Vienna to share texts, make experiences visible, and discuss the conditions of literary work. From the international English Writing Group to the presentation of current research findings, the feminist reading list FemLit, and a performative text choir, the programme spans writing, analysis, and public discourse. The symposium is open to everyone interested in literature, gender equality, and transnational collaboration. 

📌 Register now or seek more information at support@igfem.at

Programme

Thursday, 1 October 2026

From 17:00 English Writing Group – Introduction and Reading 

The opening evening is dedicated to the international English Writing Group, a core exchange format of the EPESEP project. Women authors from different countries regularly collaborate within this group, developing texts and engaging in an ongoing literary dialogue. The event will introduce the group’s working methods. Authors will read selected texts created in this context and share insights into their experience of collaborative writing across linguistic and geographical boundaries. 

Friday, 2 October 2026 

15:00–18:00 Presentation of Research Findings & Discussion 

The research institute FORBA presents key findings on the situation of women authors. The focus is on working conditions, income structures, visibility, and structural inequalities within the literary field. In addition, an Action Plan will be introduced, outlining concrete proposals and measures to improve the situation of women authors. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion with the audience. 

18:00–20:00 International & National Readings 

Women authors from Austria and the project’s partner countries will read from their current work. The readings bring together personal, literary, and political perspectives. 

Saturday, 3 October 2026 

15:00 FemLit – Presentation of the Feminist Reading List & Panel 

The project’s feminist reading list, FemLit, will be presented. It brings together a wide selection of women authors and highlights the diversity of feminist literature (www.femlit.eu). A panel with experts will provide insight into the selection process, criteria, and objectives of the list, and will address questions of canon formation, visibility, and mediation. 

Followed by Text Choir – Collective Performance 

The symposium concludes with the Text Choir – a performative condensation of texts developed within the project. Voices are brought together, texts are spoken collectively, and transformed into a shared, performative experience. 

Bezirksamt Margareten & an aerial view of Vienna city. Photos by vienna.info and Jacek Dylag on Unsplash