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.

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

FESTIVALPROGRAMME 5-9 November

5 November
We Are Not Numbers: Voices of Gaza's Youth

20.00 - 21.30 

6 November
Anouar Brahem Quartet - After the Last Sky

20.00 - 21.30 Koninklijke Schouwburg

You’ll Have to Scream LOUDER – a showcase of Dutch-language talent

19.00 - 22.00 Spiegeltent

7 November

Festivalavond 

18.00 - 23.30 Koninklijke Schouwburg, Spiegeltent

8 November

Festivalavond 

18.00 - 23.30 Koninklijke Schouwburg, Spiegeltent

Crossing Border Kids

11.00 - 16.00 Theater Dakota

Dagprogramma

11.00 - 17.30 various locations

Crossing Border NXT – 16+ readers

12.45 - 14.15 Spiegeltent

European Literature Prize Award Ceremony

16.30 - 17.30 Spiegeltent

9 November

Crossing Border Kids

11.00 - 16.00 Theater De Vaillant

Alkibiades 
20.00 Koninklijke Schouwburg

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

Yes. The pop-up Other World Bookshop will be located in the Koninklijke Schouwburg. Books by all featured authors will be available for purchase.

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 minimum age for visiting the day programmes and festival evenings of Crossing Border is 16 years old.

The main festival evenings 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.

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

Day programmes are special events with their own tickets, hosted at different venues throughout The Hague.

This year, Crossing Border Kids grows from one to two full days. Your child can explore stories, creativity and language in both Theater Vaillant (9 November) and the welcoming neighborhood stage Theater Dakota (8 November).
Designed for children aged 4 to 12, the programme features international children’s book authors and illustrators. Events take place in both Dutch and the authors’ native languages, opening up a world of perspectives.
 

Your child will take part in interactive readings, inspiring talks with writers and illustrators.
About how they work, and hands-on creative workshops to bring stories to life.

SAT 8 NOV 2025 10:00 - 16:00 Crossing Border Kids | Theater Dakota
SUN 9 NOV 202510:00 - 16:00 Crossing Border Kids | Theater De Vaillant

TIMETABLES OF BOTH DAYS ARE IDENTICAL!

DUTCH SPOKEN

On the opening night of the Crossing Border Festival, we kick things off with a spectacular Dutch-spoken program: You’ll have to scream LOUDER! In the festival tent, we bring together a mix of debuting writers, poets, and spoken word artists. These are voices on the verge of a literary breakthrough. They will share their work in readings, conversations, and surprising combinations. In the intimate setting of the festival tent, every nook will be utilized, so don't be surprised if a poet performs on a table or a DJ appears from a booth.

THU 6 NOV 2025 19:00 - 22:00 Spiegeltent, Lange Voorhout 74

EVENTS

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 book are recognized; each receives €10,000 in prize money. This year marks the 15th edition of the European Literature Prize.

European Literature Prize 2025 Award Ceremony
The 2025 European Literature Prize goes to Ik gaf je ogen en je keek in de duisternis (I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness) by Irene Solà, translated from Catalan into Dutch by Adri Boon. On Saturday, November 8, Irene Solà and Adri Boon will receive the award during the Crossing Border festival.

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.

Healing Literature for the Generation of the Future: On Saturday 8 November, Aya Sabi, Aisha Hassan, Asmae Amaddaou and Julia Adriana share stories that highlight the power of recognition and positivity. In a time of rapid technological change and major societal challenges such as war, climate change, polarization, racism, mental health, and loneliness. Crossing Border NXT offers a beacon of hope: connection, community, and the strength to move forward.

SAT 8 NOV 2025 12:45 - 14:15 Spiegeltent, Lange Voorhout 74

On Wednesday 5 November, four writers from Gaza, together with founder and editor Ahmed Alnaouq, will share stories of young people who have grown up under Israeli occupation and blockade. This recently published collection provides insight into their struggles, losses, hopes, and dreams, showing that they are people, not numbers.

WED 5 NOV 2025 20:00 - 21:30 Spiegeltent, Lange Voorhout 74 | €15

On Wednesday 5 November, Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk will appear in the Spiegeltent. The Polish author, one of the most important writers of her generation, has received, among others, the Man Booker International Prize, the Nike Award, and the European Literature Prize for her novel Empusion.

WED 5 NOV 2025 20:15 Spiegeltent, Lange Voorhout 74

With After the Last Sky, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem presents a new project, inspired by the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish. Together with pianist Django Bates, cellist Anja Lechner and double bassist Mats Eilertsen, he explores the dialogue between Arabic tradition and Western chamber music. Intimate, poetic and timeless.

THU 6 NOV 2025 20:00 - 21:30 Koninklijke Schouwburg, The Hague | €35

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.

DUTCH SPOKEN
Kijk voor meer informatie en kaarten op de website van Het Nationale Theater - Alkibiades, Zuidpool.

De voorstelling is onderdeel van het Crossing Border festival. Op de zaterdag van het festival, 8 november, is Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer te gast in een programma van De Situatie. De Situatie: Tussen Proza en Protest

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
• Ahmed Aboutaleb €11
• Yulia Navalnaya €13,50
• Dick Brongers €6

Kids' programme - 8 & 9 November

• Ticket price kids: €10
• Ticket price adults: €5

Ooievaar pass holders receive a discount on regular tickets. This applies to the festival evenings on November 7 and 8 at the Koninklijke Schouwburg, as well as the children's program on November 8 at Theater Dakota and November 9 at Theater De Vaillant. Below are the details about ticket sales:

Day ticket: €18 Passe Partout: €30,50 Children’s programs: tickets for children €5, tickets for parents/guardians €2,50

Please note: Festival evening tickets with an Ooievaarspas can only be purchased at the door. You can reserve these tickets for free through the ticket shop.

For each event, only one ticket can be purchased per Ooievaarspas holder.

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