My Voice, My Body

Name: My Voice, My Body — Opening Program on Freedom of Expression
Start: 2026-01-22T19:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-01-22T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Theater aan het Spui

Opening Program on Freedom of Expression

Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival

Thu 22 Jan 19:30 - 21:00

Literature & poetry

Thu 22 Jan 2026

19:30 - 21:00

Thu 22 Jan 2026

19:30 - 21:00

Theater aan het Spui, Den Haag

Hall 1

Tickets

In My Voice, My Body internationally acclaimed authors Virginie Despentes, Leïla Slimani and Pankaj Mishra each express their views on the meaning of freedom of expression. Palestinian-Ukrainian peace ambassador and storyteller Zoya Miari, representing the writers' organisation PEN International, will also contribute. Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, will open the festival edition with a speech.

Poet and musician Robin Block performs accomponied by bassist and composer Bruno Ferro Xavier da Silva. Poet Lin An Phoa recites from her work.

Let's get physical

The 31st edition of the festival revolves around the body in literature. With the motto Let's get physical, we delve into the way writers and poets give the body a place in their work. In a multitude of talks and performances the body is a source of desire, vulnerability, identity and resistance, among other things.

We chose this theme because our bodies and freedom of expression are under increasing pressure. In this edition of the festival, we invite authors who have recently written about these topics in their books. We will discuss gender, violence, health, well-being, freedom and sexuality. We will also celebrate the body with stories, poems, visual arts, dance and music.

Short film

The programme includes a screening of the short film Monument for Murdered Writers and Journalists 2025, a project by Theatre of Wrong Decisions, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and PEN International.

My Voice, My Body is hosted by Simone Zeefuik and compiled for Writers Unlimited by Ilonka Reintjens.

Part of

Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival

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Festival tips

Festival tip 1

After My Voice, My Body at Theater aan het Spui, join the short spoken word-walk to attend festival event Mensen Zeggen Dingen x Writers Unlimited Festival at GR8 (starting at 22:00): the festive afterparty with poetry, poetry slam, prose and punchlines. Tickets are available via PAARD.

Festival tip 2

Virginie Despentes, Leïla Slimani and Pankaj Mishra will also be performing at the festival during the big festival evenings Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited: enjoy the full festival experience and choose your own route through performances, readings, conversations, music and films with many authors and artists from home and abroad.

Friday Night Unlimited

Saturday Night Unlimited

Festival tip 3

British-Indian author Pankaj Mishra is the guest of honour for an interview about his new book The World after Gaza on Saturday afternoon, 24 January, from 12:00 to 13:00 at Theater aan het Spui:

Info & tickets 'The World after Gaza'