The value of knowledge is up for debate. And it becomes a topic of discussion.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the Abbey Library, Admont Abbey invites you to on 13 November 2026 young talents, writing enthusiasts and wordsmiths to an extraordinary literary festival.
Clear the stage for powerful lyrics
At a poetry slam – a crowd-pleasing and hugely popular competitive format for talented writers – wordsmiths compete against one another with texts they have written themselves. Slammers of all ages will have a unique chance to take part in such a poetry competition on 13 November in Admont. The event will be hosted by the well-known author and Austria’s „Papa Slam“, Markus Köhle. Within a time limit of five minutes, participants will take to the stage (and, ideally, win over the audience) with their performances. There are no restrictions on the choice of topics or text types, and no props are permitted. The competition will consist of two rounds, with the winner decided by a public vote.
The The event begins at 3.00 pm in the main assembly hall of the Stiftsgymnasium, featuring the Young Poets Slam for participants under the age of 20.
At 5.30 pm, the overall results of the „Admont Slam“ will be announced, with an open list. Registrations are open until 3 November 2026 at using the registration form below:
REGISTRATION FORM FOR THE POETRY SLAM
Participating pupils will receive a travel allowance. Free admission and a special guided tour of the abbey library round off the programme.
Writing competition on the theme „Knowledge: Power: Space“
Can knowledge still be a form of power today? Who decides which knowledge endures? And what role do books and libraries play in an age of virtually limitless information? These are the questions addressed by the writing competition at Admont Abbey – creatively, critically, personally and in any literary form of your choice.
The Submissions of 5,000 characters in length may comprise several texts and text types that explore this central theme centred on the book as an object of knowledge, a repository of knowledge and the sharing of knowledge. Any creative engagement with the central theme is permitted. Further information is available online. Prizes include cash awards and attractive non-cash prizes, provided by the commercial enterprises of Admont Abbey. The closing date for entries is 3 November 2026. Entries must be submitted via the registration form below:
REGISTRATION FORM FOR THE WRITING COMPETITION
The winners will be notified in writing and will be allowed to present their texts as part of the Awards ceremony on 13 November present. The event will culminate in a reading by the authors at 8.00 pm in the Stiftsbibliothek, featuring texts by Markus Köhle and the „Feminist Authors“ group.
Event leaflet
You can find all the information about the poetry slam and writing competition in the leaflet below