Writing Supplies! The Book and Its Future

Though their extinction was predicted decades ago, books remain the leading cultural medium of our times despite the trend toward digitalization which has rapidly transformed the distribution, promotion, production and reception of the written word. The current and future significance of books was the theme of an upcoming symposium in Freiburg titled Writing Supplies! How has the rapid development of media in past years affected the habits of readers and artistic-literary production? The primary aim was to establish closer proximity between the theoretical considerations and the practical developments from the digital book and publishing market. The international symposium focused on current literary and transmedial positions and assessed the potential of new technical developments for the literary scene. These new perspectives will hopefully enhance the discussion concerning the future of books and offer pragmatic and theoretical approaches in the long term.

Artistic directors: Katarina Tojic, Kateryna Stetsevych and Stefanie Stegmann
Artists: Nora Gomringer, Thomas Meinecke, Chris Meade (GB /USA), Barbara Köhler (D), Jost Smiers (NL) and others

Venue and schedule:
Alter Wiehrebahnhof Freiburg im Breisgau, 3 – 5 December 2010