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*Qissa* is an evening of true stories told in a circle. Someone shares something real, the room listens — and then the conversation opens up. Questions, connections, your own moments finding their way in.
Pull up a chair. Bring your wrong turns.
Wrong Turn?
We've all taken one.
The wrong train, the wrong job, the wrong turn somewhere between who you were and who you thought you'd be.
This episode of Qissa is themed: Wrong Turn.
Big or small, funny or formative — if it happened to you, it belongs here.
What is Qissa?
Qissa means "a story" in Urdu, Hindi, and Persian — named after Peshawar's Qissa Khwani Bazaar, the old bazaar where travellers would sit down and tell each other what had happened to them on the road.
At Qissa, a true story is where the evening begins, not where it ends. Someone tells something real, and then the room opens — questions, connections, your own moments surfacing. It's a conversation that goes somewhere you didn't expect, and the story is what starts it.
No stage. No spotlight. Just chairs in a circle and people listening closely.
The theme: Wrong Turn
Everyone's got one. It doesn't have to be dramatic. A theme gives you a lens to look at your own life with — so you arrive knowing roughly what you want to bring.
Wrong Turn is a forgiving theme. The storyteller gets to be the butt of the joke, and there's always a turn to build toward.
Want to tell a story?
You don't need a polished story. You don't need to have figured out what it means. You just need something true — something that happened to you.
The room is small and the crowd is kind. First-timers are especially welcome. If you're nervous, you're in good company.
When you register, let us know if you'd like to tell a story. Walk-up storytellers are welcome on the night too.
Don't have a story yet? Maybe you have a small object that reminds you of a wrong turn. Bring it along. It will be fun.
The evening
Doors open at 6 pm
Stories begin around 6:30
The whole evening runs about 2 to 2.5 hours
Chai is on
Most people come to listen. That's completely fine — listening is its own thing here.
The venue
in:takt is an open community lab on Breiter Weg — one of those rare spaces in the city that genuinely belongs to anyone who walks in.
Donations
Qissa is donation-based. Every contribution tonight goes directly to Nepal flood relief through our partner, Ashavadi Project e.V. Give what feels right. There's a cash box at the door.
FAQ
Do I have to tell a story? No. Most people come to listen. You're very welcome to do exactly that.
What if I've never told a story before? Then you're exactly who this is for. The room is small, the format is relaxed, and no one is expecting a performance. A lot of people who were nervous beforehand have said it was easier than they thought.
How long should a story be? Somewhere between three and seven minutes is a good target. Short enough to leave room for conversation, long enough to go somewhere.
What language? English. All stories and conversation are in English.
Why this theme? A theme gives everyone a shared lens. It helps you arrive with something in mind — and it makes the conversations richer, because everyone's been thinking about the same corner of their life. Wrong Turn works because the range is huge: it can be tiny and funny or big and formative. Everyone's got one.
What's the donation for? On 26 August 2026, flash floods struck the Rasuwa district of Nepal. 100% of tonight's donations go to relief and recovery through Ashavadi Project e.V., a registered German non-profit. They can issue donation receipts.
What should I bring? Just yourself. And if you don't have a story yet, maybe you have a small object that reminds you of a wrong turn. Bring it along.
Location
in:takt - dein Freiraum in Magdeburg
Breiter Weg 32-34, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany
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Event venue
Magdeburg, Germany
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.