The 10th edition of the Passa Porta Festival, which ran from 28 to 30 March 2025, offered a captivating weekend of storytelling. From the first event on Friday to the final session on Sunday, the festival took audiences on a journey through the ghosts of our past, delving into the hidden corners of our personal and collective psyche, where memories linger and secrets remain buried.
For this edition, the organisers chose to explore a more metaphysical dimension of the theme, moving beyond Edgar Allan Poe’s ghostly motifs. Together, authors from around the world pushed the boundaries of space and time, uncovering the hidden depths of history and contemplating uncertain visions of the future. Each book, each narrative, summoned echoes of the past, revealing the innermost thoughts of the writers and illuminating the shadows of the future.
With 70 different events across the city centre of Brussels, Passa Porta welcomed 10,000 visitors, who had the chance to engage with more than 100 writers and artists. The festival allowed story lovers to experience the richness of literature in three different languages: French, Dutch, and English. Literary enthusiasts could also explore events of various nature, including writing workshops, readings, interviews, panel discussions, and performances.
The festival introduced to the audience Tine Høeg, who presented her latest novel Memorial, 29 June following the story of the main character who was invited to a memorial. As the story unfolds, the novel delves into the hidden secrets from the protagonist’s past, examining how she grapples with the ghosts of her history and her relationship with them.
Additionally, Høeg is the author of the novel Sult which in English translates to Hunger. Earlier in 2025, the novel came to life on Netflix, in the form of A Copenhagen Love Story. “It was a completely new work, but it still captured the nerve of my novel. Even though it wasn’t the same, I still think they kept the essence of the book,” said Høeg.
Høeg also explained that she wasn’t involved in the movie, adding that according to her somebody with more experience should have been doing it. “I was helping a little. And it is a big gift as a writer to see your novels being translated to different languages but also transformed into a different world,” concluded the author.
Another standout moment was a discussion on war, explored through the perspectives of writers Karim Kattan and Andriy Lyubka. They spoke on topics such as love, war, and borders. Lyubka discussed his 2015 novel Carbide, describing it as “funny and full of absurdity”. He emphasised the role of humour in Ukrainian culture, citing the influence of Voltaire’s satire. In contrast, Kattan spoke about his novel L’Éden à l’aube, a “passionate love story” between Gabriel and Isaac. The Palestinian author explained his choice of a non-human narrator – the sky – which allowed him to creatively explore character dynamics.
Thanks to Passa Porta, audiences were also introduced to emerging voices from Eastern Europe, including Iulian Bocai from Romania, Marta Hermanowicz from Poland, and Myroslav Lauik from Ukraine. These authors were joined by their Dutch translators, with whom they had formed close bonds, according to programme manager Piet Joostens. Each author read excerpts from their books in their native language, accompanied by Dutch translations.
This exchange is part of a larger effort to bridge literary cultures. “We are members of CELA (Connecting Emerging Literary Artists), and this is a fantastic four-year programme designed to connect writers, literary translators, literary organizations, and literary professionals from Spain to Ukraine, especially for languages that are not very connected to literary markets yet,’ said Joostens opening the discussion.
Hermanowicz, for instance, discussed her book Koniec (The End) which explores the impact of war through the lens of intergenerational memory. “It is a metaphysical journey where the timelines blur and dreams are intertwined with reality,” said Hermanowicz. The story follows a sensitive child who begins experiencing her grandmother’s dreams filled with memories of pre-war Poland, the outbreak of World War II, and the subsequent deportations to Siberia. “What’s even more important is that the past and the dreams are mirroring the reality of the main character and very similar situations start to happen in her real life,” explained the author.
Beyond the panels and interviews, literary enthusiasts could visit the free programme that included the literary oracle, a queer writing workshop, a zine publishing workshop as well as a Drink & Draw, all revolving around the topics of ghosts. Additionally, in collaboration with different partners, the festival also brought art projects and open mics to a wide audience. The Literary Oracle gave people the opportunity to speak in the future and see what life has in store for them as skilled oracles gave card readings and analysis. Those interested could stop by Hotel Continental and get a glimpse of what ghosts would haunt their future.
The festival drew to a close on Sunday, 30 March, at the Brussels City Hall, where the unveiling of the new Poet of Belgium marked the end of the eerie weekend. A two-part, bilingual performance by Lisette Lombé and her successor Ruth Lasters, was the culmination of a weekend full of literary intricacies.
“The success of the 10th edition of the Passa Porta festival proves the need for new stories and ideas in these times,” said Hendrik Tratsaert, director of Passa Porta in a press release.
This is one of the reasons why ghost stories are so fascinating. They are not always about poltergeists, but really about how people perceive the world we live in and how we overcome complex matters such as war, loss, and the past.
