European Literature Days returns this year to the themes of loneliness and solidarity. This return is twofold: the return of one of the most prominent European literary festivals in Vietnam, and a return to one of literature's most enduring preoccupations: the human longing for connection that transcends space and time.

And yet, loneliness in the twenty-first century carries its own particular shape. It is defined by the presence of technology into every dimension of human life; by the differences and tensions between generations, cultures, and identities that - whether by design or accident - push people further apart; as while as many other causes. Under this environment, how do we think about solidarity, about the spirit of unity – things on the one hand that stand in opposition to loneliness, while on the other hand has been growing ever more fragile in an age where division and fracture appear with increasing frequency?

European Literature Days 2026 - The Distance Between Us: Loneliness and Solidarity in European Literature brings together some of the most prominent literary voices of contemporary European writing. Over ten days, audiences in Hanoi, Huế, and Ho Chi Minh City will have the opportunity to encounter and engage with diverse perspectives on loneliness and solidarity through works and voices from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. What forms does loneliness take, and what does it sound like? How does the body respond as it moves between isolation and connection? What is the role of literature today, and how can one write in a world that seems increasingly fractured? These are just some of the questions explored through panel discussions, workshops, and other events throughout the festival.