L´Atlantico o il Pacifico sono i mari delle distanza 

Il Mediterraneo e´il mare della vicinanza

L`Adriatico e´il mare dell´intimita´”

Pedrag Matvejevic, “Breviario mediterraneo” 1991  

„The Atlantic and Pacific are the seas of distance. The Mediterranean is the sea of proximity. The Adriatic is the sea of intimacy.“

“Das Weisse Meer” in English the White Sea was the name of a literary discussion held in the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin.  Six authors from Germany, Italy, Croatia and Albania spoke about the topic “Mediterranean Sea as never-ending fantasy” and read out excerpts from their publications concerning the topic. But why did the authors discuss the region of the White Sea? What does it mean? The term “White Sea” is a metaphor deriving from Arabic meaning the Mediterranean.


The project „Das Weiße Meer-Literaturen rund um’s Mittelmeer“ is supported by the Allianz Cultural Foundation.

The LCB is an event forum, guest house, workplace and talent factory for authors and interpreters located in a villa at the outskirts of Berlin named das Haus am Wannsee (in English the House at the Wannsee Lake).  The Ford Foundation and the Berlin Senate support the rich cultural program of the LCB. Since its founding the House am Wannsee has become a famous and popular center for international meetings and a platform for public debates.

Literatisches Colloquium Berlin

Authors Anna Stopazzolo and Mila Zaharieva-Schmolke

Moderated by Melissa Lemaire and Mila Zaharieva-Schmolke