Source:
Press release No. 146 of 11/06/2020
by the Bavarian State Ministry of Sciences and the Arts  (in German)

The Literaturportal Bayern provides authors and independent mediators of literature with a virtual platform for publications, all the more so during the Corona crisis. They receive remuneration for their contributions. The Bavarian Ministry of the Arts has earmarked a total of EUR 30,000 for this purpose. This was announced by Minister of the Arts Bernd Sibler today [11/06/2020]. He emphasised: "Creators of literature are hit hard by the consequences of the Corona pandemic as well: Numerous public events, such as readings and festivals, have been cancelled, taking away opportunities for exchange with their audience and important parts of their income. During these difficult times, we want to help them keep contact with their audience on the one hand. On the other hand, we want to honour their important work. In times like these in particular, we can find support, hope and confidence in literature. With their texts, creators of literature can provide us with food for thought, take us to different worlds and stimulate public discussion. I highly appreciate that we can provide them with a strong forum for digital literature mediation in the form of the Literaturportal Bayern."

The Literaturportal Bayern provides creators of literature with manifold possibilities of actively playing a part in shaping its contents:

• Authors from Bavaria can use the channels of the portal and publish texts on the Corona crisis or other topics there. It is also possible to post extracts from literary texts that are currently being created.
• Also independent mediators of literature in Bavaria can take part, for example with articles on Bavarian literature (history), on creative writing or on cultural education for children and adolescents.
• In addition to literary and journalistic texts, also comics, discussions, features, audio plays or videos, for example, can be presented. It is also possible to involve speakers and actors in the process.
• The calendar of the literature portal can be used for drawing attention to virtual literature events.

Dr. Klaus Ceynowa, Director General of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, explained: "The increase in funding gives the Literaturportal Bayern the opportunity to adopt a position of even stronger commitment in the current crisis: Creators of literature address current issues artistically and at the same time are actively supported in their frequently difficult situation; the users of the portal benefit from new and surprising literary perspectives on the current exceptional situation – I am already looking forward to many exciting contributions for our literature portal!"

More detailed information on publishing and funding by the Literaturportal Bayern can be obtained by writing to the following e-mail address:
kontakt@literaturportal-bayern.de

The literature portal is a venture of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in cooperation with the Monacensia library in the Hildebrand House, the literature archive and library of the city of Munich, sponsored and accompanied by the Bavarian State Ministry for Sciences and the Arts and supported by the capital Munich. An image of the diverse literature landscape of the entire Free State is provided in several sections: Not only does the portal include portraits of Bavarian writers, literary excursions, places of commemoration and portraits of cities, personal papers or an encyclopaedia of literature journals, but also information on awards and grants, literature events or institutions in overall Bavaria.

Link to the Literaturportal Bayern:
https://www.literaturportal-bayern.de/

Contact
Julia Graf
Vice Spokesperson
Phone  +49 89 2186-2621