My annual Hay Party (Conference?) began and ended loudly. A frenzied clattering of wind and rain against the ‘walls’ of my first event in Tent-City-on-Wye with authors Vesna Goldsworthy and Kevin Maher declaiming gallantly against the elements. ‘Belgravia is the new Belgrade!’ Vesna proclaimed hoarsely about her superb creation the Russian oligarch ‘Gorsky’, and, ‘The…
2015, Literary trends across Europe
EURO STARS: The Rock Stars of European Literature
by Rosie Goldsmith •
I do like a challenge. After all, I promote European literature in the UK! And we’ve got 3 big European ‘challenges’ coming up: the annual ‘European Literature Night’ at the British Library on Wednesday May 13th, and on Friday April 17th at Europe House in London our first ever ‘Euro Stars’ event, to present four…
2015, Literary trends across Europe
Your Book Year Ahead
by Rosie Goldsmith •
One of my roles as your Blogger-in-UK-residence is to share any Good News about International writing on ‘our’ side of the Channel – and I’ve just been served up a large delicious helping of brain food which I want to share with you to give your new year a healthy start. Thanks to the great work of…
2015
Germany (and France) On My Mind
by Rosie Goldsmith •
Germany is on my mind – it often is. A country that both fascinates and frustrates me, I lived there for nearly a decade, studied the language, as a BBC journalist witnessed some ‘major German events’ (Berlin Wall! Unification!) and today still spend a lot of my life thinking/reading/talking about Germany. This weekend in Paris,…
2014, Debates and recommendations
Pen Atlas: Best Books
by Rosie Goldsmith •
The PEN ATLAS I am a very proud member of English PEN; I am also a huge supporter of PEN Atlas. So I’d like to devote my final Blog before Christmas and New Year – a time when we reflect on what’s good and bad about the world – to draw attention to PEN’s outstanding…
2014, Debates and recommendations
My Best E-Books
by Rosie Goldsmith •
It’s that ‘Best Books Of The Year’ time again. Everyone who is Anyone in the Literary World is revealing their favorite reads of 2014. These lists are both exciting and depressing: all those books I’ve missed! All those books still to read! So, I’m going to depress and excite you too by revealing my best…
2014, Debates and recommendations
A Great European
by Rosie Goldsmith •
Geert Mak – a Great EuropeanThe time is right. This year, this month we celebrate 25 years since the end of the Berlin Wall. On November 11th, on Remembrance Sunday, we also honour the fallen of the 2 World Wars. The time is right to remember our history. Europe is in crisis. Not just the…
2014, Debates and recommendations
War On The Danube
by Rosie Goldsmith •
For a few weeks in the year Spitz an der Donau is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The autumnal vines turn the hills into carpets of green and yellow; the October sun warms the Wachauer vines into aromatic white wines; the Danube ferries chug along the swollen river; nestling villages of willowy…
2014, Debates and recommendations
Best European Fiction
by Rosie Goldsmith •
‘Best European Fiction’, or ‘BEF’, is both the title of an inspirational annual anthology of European short fiction, and an aspiration – for more of it! (Excuse my Euro-effusiveness in this blog but I’m feeling rather buoyant – also on the eve of our annual ELIT festival in Austria – check out this very website…
2014, Debates and recommendations
12 SWISS BOOKS 2014
by Rosie Goldsmith •
For the past 3 years I’ve been part of the editorial team on a magazine called ‘12 Swiss Books’ produced annually by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. Over 6 months we lovingly select 12 Swiss books from all the many publications written in the ‘Famous Four’ Swiss languages (and sometimes dialects), which we think…