Festival info

The festival runs from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 November 2025.

The main festival nights take place on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November, with a continuous line-up of international authors, emerging literary voices, and alternative music acts.
Events will take place in various spaces within the Koninklijke Schouwburg and in a specially built Spiegeltent next to the theatre.

Special programmes and projects are also planned for 5, 6, and 9 November in the evenings. Details will be announced at a later date.

In addition to the main evening events, there are daytime programmes in the Spiegeltent and other locations:

6 November: You’ll Have to Scream LOUDER – a showcase of Dutch-language talent across disciplines
8 November: Crossing Border NXT – for readers aged 16 and up
8 November: Presentation of the European Literature Prize
8 & 9 November: Kids Programme at Theater Dakota and Theater Vaillant

There are also educational programmes for school pupils and university students.

A full schedule and timings will be announced soon.

Main festival nights on 7 and 8 November run from 18:00 to 23:30.
Day programme on 8 November:

Antjie Krog: 11:00 – 12:00

Chigozie Obioma: 13:00 – 14:00

David Szalay: 15:00 – 16:00

For evening events on 7 and 8 November: 30 minutes before start
For day events on 8 November: 15 minutes before start

Times for other events will be announced later.

Yes. The pop-up Other World Bookshop will be located in the Koninklijke Schouwburg.
Books by all featured authors will be available for purchase, and authors will sign books after their appearances, usually in the foyer.

The main language is English.
Dutch authors will speak in Dutch, and interpreters will be present for international authors who don’t speak English.

The Kids’ programme of Crossing Border brings a selection of authors and illustrators of children’s literature that showcase the best artistic and literary quality in books intended for early readers (4-8) and middle-grade (8-12) and 12+

The programmes are bi-lingual: the original language of the book and Dutch.

You can expect hands-on workshops, interviews on the creative and artistic process behind the stories and of course story time (reading aloud) from the authors themselves.

DUTCH SPOKEN

Nederlandstalige talenten uit de hedendaagse letteren komen samen om hun literaire, poëtische, muzikale en beweeglijke verhalen de wereld in te blazen.

t.b.a.

The Addict is an informal networking event for national and international publishers, agents and other book professionals, which takes place at the same time as Crossing Border. It began life organically eight years ago, when the many international guests from the publishing world sensed a great moment to get together in a relaxed atmosphere.

Each year, around 250+ professionals from more than 15 countries join us for The Addict, with word-of-mouth recommendations making it an essential date on the calendar of leading figures in the publishing industry.

“The Addict removes the formal elements of a conventional book fair and instead provides an immersive experience at the leading edge of literary and pop culture.” – Lee Brackstone, Independent Publisher

About the European Literature Prize
The European Literature Prize honors the best contemporary European novel published in Dutch translation in the previous year. Both the author and the translator of the winning novel are recognized, with each receiving €10,000 in prize money. This year marks the 15th edition of the European Literature Prize.

European Literature Prize 2025 Award Ceremony
The winners of the 2025 European Literature Prize are yet to be announced.

Partners
The European Literature Prize is an initiative of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, the academic-cultural platform SPUI25, the weekly magazine De Groene Amsterdammer, and Athenaeum Bookstore. The prize is made possible through financial support from the Lira Fund, the De Lancey & De La Hanty Foundation, and the Dutch Foundation for Literature. In collaboration with Hebban.nl, stories from the translators on the longlist are published on the Translators’ Channel, and book clubs are organized around the shortlisted titles.

t.b.a.

Music and poetry are like coffee and cake—great on their own but even better together. At Broeinest, Huis van Gedichten (literally: House of Poems) presents poetry at its freshest, showcasing young talent from The Hague alongside international acts in artistic writing and music. But it’s not just about the performance...

The Broeinest talent program offers emerging writers the opportunity to hone their craft. Young people passionate about spoken word are guided from writing in their homes or classrooms to participating in workshops with intensive, professional mentorship. Here, they refine their skills and further develop their voices.

As the cherry on top, they present their new work during this program—often for the first time, but certainly not the last.

The Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague is the main venue for Crossing Border.
New this year is the addition of a Spiegeltent on Het Lange Voorhout, which will host both daytime and evening events.

BorderKitchen will feature daytime programming. Additional venues will be announced in the lead-up to the festival.

Koninklijke Schouwburg
Korte Voorhout 3, Den Haag

Spiegeltent
Lange Voorhout 74, Den Haag (voor Museum Escher in ‘t Paleis)

BorderKitchen
Kerkstraat 11, Den Haag

Theater Dakota
Zuidlarenstraat 57, Den Haag

Theater De Vaillant
Hobbemastraat 120, Den Haag

Festival Nights – 7 & 8 November

Early Bird (until 1 July):

• Day Ticket: €28.50
• Passepartout (both nights): €51

Regular Price:

• Day Ticket: €36
• Passepartout: €61

Daytime Events – 8 November

• Antjie Krog: €13.50
• David Szalay: €11
• Chigozie Obioma: €11

Yes. The Koninklijke Schouwburg is fully accessible for people who require additional assistance.
This includes wheelchair access, accessible parking, and support with mobility inside the venue.

Charging stations and designated parking spots are available at Schouwburgstraat 8.
If you have questions or would like to make arrangements, contact: support@crossingborder.nl

The venue is a 10-minute walk from The Hague Central Station and easily reached by public transport. There’s plenty of bike parking next to the theatre.

Nearby parking options:

Interparking Museumkwartier

• Korte Voorhout 2P (1-minute walk)
• €2.50 per 30 minutes
• Accessible: lifts and disabled parking
• interparking.nl/museumkwartier

Q-Park Malieveld

• Koningskade 1 bis (5-minute walk)
• €2.00 per 35 minutes
• €12 for 6 hours (online booking after 18:00)
• More info: q-park.nl/malieveld

Electric vehicles and accessible parking
At Schouwburgstraat 8, directly next to the theatre, there are 2 EV charging points and 5 wide parking bays for disability cardholders.

Yes. Crossing Border hosts dedicated sessions for secondary schools, where students engage directly with Dutch and international authors.
Teachers and school coordinators can reach out to michel@crossingborder.nl.

There’s also Student Meets Author, a programme for university students in literature and related fields. Students join group discussions with international writers, as part of their academic curriculum.
More info: elinor@crossingborder.nl