about
Fresh Fire is a literary festival in the broadest sense of the word. This annual festival by VONK & Zonen brings together literature, music, digital art, and lectures. An unprecedented festival at a sparkling location.
Fresh Fire is an annual festival that celebrates word art in all its forms. It brings literature to life with music, visual art, poetry, spoken word, performances, installations, and more. With a surprising and diverse program, Fresh Fire invites a wide audience to experience literature in an accessible and innovative way.
The first edition took place on December 16, 2023, the second on May 25, 2024—both at the Blikfabriek in Hoboken. In 2025, Fresh Fire will land at De Studio in Antwerp for an extra festive third edition on Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14.
Fresh Fire was born out of the need to bring literature beyond the book. Literature is often only associated with books, which makes other forms such as performance poetry, spoken word, theater, storytelling, and digital literature less visible.
With Fresh Fire, VONK & Zonen aims to broaden that perspective. We focus on innovation, diversity, and inclusion in the literary world. Alternative forms of literature provide space for new voices and perspectives, often from underrepresented groups, making literature more accessible to a broader audience.
For those who don't often reach for a book, Fresh Fire can be a first, surprising introduction to literature—and perhaps even a gateway to more. And for seasoned readers, the festival opens the doors to innovative and unexpected ways of experiencing literature.
Fresh Fire is made possible by De Studio and the Poëziecentrum, both of which are main partners of the festival. Additionally, deAuteurs, Literature Flanders, and Creative Europe support the festival program.
In 2025, the festival will collaborate with the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, deBuren, Letterzetter Kortrijk, Versopolis, Behoud de Begeerte, and Nekka.
Partners
