Don Quijote von der Mancha

“Hope calls for action”—the theme of the SPOKEN ARTS FESTIVAL 2026 finds a magnificent echo in Miguel de Cervantes’ *Don Quixote of La Mancha*. Although the first edition of the novel was published as early as 1605, this great work of world literature is considered a blueprint for every age. With its unique narrative self-reflection, it offers a glimpse into the human condition—one that, in its incredible blend of comedy and tragedy, has remained virtually unmatched to this day. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are a pair of heroes from another world, and precisely for that reason, they are more than ever wonderful reincarnations in our present day and in these unheroic times.
Readers include director Doris Dörrie (*Men*, *Cherry Blossoms – Hanami*), actress Maria Happel (Burgtheater, Vienna), writer Ilona Hartmann (*Land in Sight*, *Klarkommen*), actor Burghart Klaußner (Good Bye, Lenin!, The Fat Years Are Over, The White Ribbon), actor Enno Trebs (European Shooting Star 2026), and author and Ingeborg Bachmann Prize winner Peter Wawerzinek (Raven Love, Schluckspecht).

by Miguel de Cervantes
Translated by Susanne Lange

Reading marathon, in a six-hour version specially adapted for the festival, with two breaks.