Under Communism, all Czech writers who criticised conditions at the time, even indirectly, were persecuted, if not imprisoned. Today, anyone can say, write or criticise whatever they wish, without fear of being punished. But the paradox is that such criticism goes either un-noticed or ignored. The ineffectual position of the written word in Czech society…
Debates and recommendations
2014, Debates and recommendations
Lyric Poetry: the new weapon in the Hungarian struggle against self-imposed silence/ Das neue Gewicht der ungarischen Lyrik im Kampf gegen allgemeine Sprachlosigkeit
by Wilhelm Droste •
BUTCHER AND BUTCHERED There’s no incentive in Hungary to end the crisis in the country’s fledgling democracy – and this is primarily a problem of language. Under the liberal communism of János Kádár, every pub, wine bar and espresso bar would resound to loud and passionate debate, discussion, brouhaha and agitation about how to bring…
2014, Debates and recommendations
The NETWORK: European Literature Night (PART 4)
by Rosie Goldsmith •
The European Literature Network The European Literature Network was established in 2011 to help ensure that Euro-lit stays in the UK. I came up with the idea out of frustration after a trip with 20 British publishing and media colleagues to Brussels to attend the prize-giving ceremony for the European Union Prize For Literature – which few of us…
2014, Debates and recommendations
European Literature Night 2014 (PART 3)
by Rosie Goldsmith •
European Literature Night 2014: The Graphic Novelists (See 2 previous Blog Posts on ELN; with thanks to the ELN team for compiling this list) On May 14th 2014 for the first time the British Library in London is holding 2 parallel ‘European Literature Nights’: one with 6 writers of fiction hosted by Rosie Goldsmith and…
2014, Debates and recommendations
European Literature Night 2014 (PART 2)
by Rosie Goldsmith •
European Literature Night 2014: The 6 Writers (cf. PART 1 about ELN itself; with thanks to the ELN team for compiling this list) There is something for everyone as our 6 ELN authors – all appearing at the British Library on May 14th 2014 – present rich offerings of reportage, humorous explorations of the nature of power, chilling dystopia-meets-crime…
2014, Debates and recommendations
European Literature Night 2014 (PART 1)
by Rosie Goldsmith •
On the occasion of ‘European Literature Night’, London, May 14th 2014 It’s that time of the year again! It’s our 6th annual ‘European Literature Night’ (ELN) at the British Library in London. Our 1st ELN was held in May 2009. We featured 6 writers from across Europe who discussed their country, their life and their…
2014, Debates and recommendations
Sinnlose Debatten
by Rainer Moritz •
Manchmal ermüde ich mit einem Mal. Da springe ich aus dem Bett, nehme eine erquickende Wechseldusche, trinke einen Schluck Zitronensaft pur, dann tiefschwarzen Kaffee und scheine energieladen für den jungen Tag. Bis ich – ein wenig ängstlich schon – die Feuilletonseiten deutscher Tages- und Wochenzeitungen aufschlage und jählings damit konfrontiert werde, dass schon wieder über…
2014, Debates and recommendations
Writers and the Middle-class/ Literaten und bürgerliche Öffentlichkeit
by Walter Grond •
My memories of the arts festival, Styrian Autumn, in the 1980s have made me think of something significant that we’ve lost since then. I don’t think that the renowned literature symposia held there were any more successful than today’s European Literature Days in the Wachau. On the contrary, our current European horizons have both a…
2014, Debates and recommendations
YOUR FAVOURITE EUROPEAN NOVELS
by Rosie Goldsmith •
I recently conducted a survey on your behalf. Via social and mainstream media, via email and word of mouth, I asked people to name their favourite European novels of the past 2 decades translated into English. These novels had to brilliant, I explained; they had to be novels we would be talking about in the…
2014, Debates and recommendations
Steve Sem-Sandberg: Documentary fiction/ Dokumentarischer Roman
by Vea Kaiser •
At the European Literature Days 2013 Sandberg presented a short talk about the documentary novel and recounts anecdotes from his workshop. He spent a lot of time studying historical documents about life in the Warsaw Ghetto – his (in my opinion ingenious) novel “The Emperor of Lies” (“Die Elenden von Lodz”) is based on his…