November isn’t far away, and you all know what that means – German Literature Month is just around the corner! For the 16th time, we’ll be reading German, Austrian, or Swiss books, enjoying a whole month of German-language literature.

I’m pleased to announce that Tony from Tony’s Reading List will be co-hosting again this year. As many of you know, my co-founder, Lizzy Siddal, of Lizzy’s Literary Life, sadly passed away during last year’s GLM, so the event now also serves as our annual opportunity to remember her and her work in raising the awareness of German-language literature.

If you’d like to participate, there’s only one rule to follow – read books that were originally written in German. Other than that, you can read whatever you like, or you can follow the structure Tony and I are adopting. This is a year of anniversaries, so we will dedicate two weeks to two very special authors, Ingeborg Bachmann and Rainer Maria Rilke. Please find our full schedule below:

November 1st-8th: Fiction Week
In the spirit of “Read as you please”, we kick off with something that everyone would probably choose anyway.

November 9th-15th: Ingeborg Bachmann Week
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Austrian author Ingeborg Bachmann, who was born in Klagenfurt on June 25, 1926. This week will give us the opportunity to celebrate her life and work.

November 16th-22rd: Non-fiction Week
Non-fiction isn’t a genre we included very often in the past, which is a shame as there is a lot to discover.

November 23th- 30th: Rainer Maria Rilke Week
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of beloved Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who passed away on December 29, 1926.

German Literature Month is not a challenge, or a competition to read the most books, and reading one item, originally written in German, is enough to participate.

I hope that many of you will join Tony and me on our reading journeys. For those who are happy to do so, you can write blog or Instagram posts, or simply share what you’re reading on X (Twitter), BlueSky or Facebook– and don’t forget to add#GermanLitMonth so we can find you.

I’m planning on reading one of the new Ingeborg Bachmann biographies, maybe some of her short stories, Rilke’s poems, and any of the many unread novels or short story collections on my piles.

What about you? What will you be reading?