Established in 1963 by German poet Walter Höllerer, the Literary Colloquium Berlin was intended to be the focal point of German language literature as it strove to reconstitute itself after the catastrophe of WWII. From its home in a roomy 19th-century villa on the leafy banks of Berlin’s Wannsee lake—once a Nazi naval testing center developing top secret submarines—the LCB has supported generations of poets and writers as a guest house, a convention center and an academy all in one. More than a few of the giants of postwar literature—Frisch, Bachmann, Grass, Pasolini, Ionesco, Dos Passos and Steinbeck—have passed through its doors, and today the LCB has become the symbol of Weltstadt Berlin for authors from around the globe.

Following Höllerer’s vision, the LCB hosts dozens of programs and events annually; workshops, readings, lectures, and panel discussions—all with a focus on young writers—and oversees the award of several prestigious literary prizes. To strengthen the transnational exchange of literature they’ve also established the Berlin Translators Workshop and sponsored the translation of over 150 volumes. And as if that wasn’t already enough, they also publish their own literary journal and maintain an extensive photographic archive of German authors.

Whether you’re an author, a critic, or just one who loves the written word, you’ll find yourself in good company here at the edge of the water.