Czech Center New York will host European Literature Night (ELN) on Monday, November 22, 2021. Returning to New York after a two-year break, the 2021 edition will take place from 6 PM to 11 PM at the Bohemian National Hall presenting an exciting selection of fiction, poetry, short stories, and discussions. Authors, translators, and actors representing ten EU countries will read from new releases and beloved classics and participate in a panel discussion.
A decade-old tradition in many European countries where readings and the exchange of ideas have often happened in communal spaces, such as pubs and coffee shops, ELN brings to New York the spirit of European café culture. Launched in New York in 2017, ELN’s concept is based in the spirit of unity and the belief that literature is a unique and creative medium that can help strengthen the dialogue between individual voices and cultures and break down communication barriers. The 2021 lineup represents a diverse and varied Europe with participants from Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.
Participants include: Edoardo Ballerini (Italy), Sean Gasper Bye (Poland), Véronique Firkusny and Elena Sokol (Czech Republic), Sándor Halmosi (Hungary), Alta Ifland (Romania), Stefan Kutzenberger (Austria), Alek Popov (Bulgaria), Hugo dos Santos (Portugal), Megan Tomas (Poland), Kirmen Uribe (Spain), and Katarina Vizina (Slovakia). The evening will be moderated by Andrew Singer, Director and Editor in Chief of Trafika Europe, Europe’s literary radio station.
“We are honored and excited to have the European Literature Night back live at the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan,” says Miroslav Konvalina, Director of the Czech Center New York and Vice President of EUNIC New York Cluster. “The historic Ballroom will serve as a venue for great readings by authors, translators, and presenters as well as discussions about the current state of literary translation in different parts of Europe. I am happy to see so many of us coming together to celebrate our shared love of books.”
PROGRAM FOR NOVEMBER 22, 2021:
6PM – Opening remarks
6:10 PM – 7:50 PM – Live Readings, questions, and conversations featuring:
- Edoardo Ballerini (Italy): Those Who from Afar Look Like Flies: An Anthology of Italian Poetry from Pasolini to the Present
- Stefan Kutzenberger (Austria): Jokerm
an - Megan Tomas (Poland): The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz
- Sean Gasper Bye (Poland): The King of Warsaw by Szczepan Twardoch
- Véronique Firkusny and Elena Sokol (Czech Republic): City of Torment by Daniela Hodrová
- Sándor Halmosi (Hungary): Decameron57
, Everness80, The Dual Nature of Silence, Apocrypha, Meltdown.
- Alek Popov (Bulgaria): Mission Turan
- Kirmen Uribe (Spain): Bilbao-New York-Bilbao
- Katarina Vizina (Slovakia): The Bloody Sonnets by Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav
- Alta Ifland (Romania): The Wife Who Wasn’t
- Hugo dos Santos (Portugal): A Child in Ruins by José Luís Peixoto.
Free and open to the public with registration.Masks and proof of vaccination are required to enter the venue. Photo ID will be checked. More information can be found on Czech Center website.Bohemian National Hall, 321 E 73rd Street, New York
Subway: Q to 72nd Street, 6 to 68th Street or 77th StreetFor those who can’t make it in person, an edited presentation of the evening will be available on Trafika Europe Radio www.trafikaeurope.org.
The Czech Center’s mission is to actively promote the Czech Republic by showcasing Czech culture, innovations and creativity in the US. Its program covers visual and performing arts, film, literature, music, architecture, design and fashion, science and social innovations. As well as hosting its own events, the Czech Center offers support for other groups organizing interculture initiatives among Czech and US partners.
The Czech Center also seeks to further enhance cultural relationships between the US and the Czech Republic through curatorial visits, media tours and artistic residencies; helping to generate creative dialogue among artists, scholars, scientists and cultural activists from both countries. The Center promotes instruction of Czech language and provides series of Czech language courses.
The Czech Center, a contributory organization of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened in New York in 1996. The Czech Center is part of a worldwide network of 26 branches across three continents including the Czech Houses in Moscow, Jerusalem and Bratislava. The Czech Center was a founding member of the EUNIC. www.czechcenter.com
EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture – is the European network of organizations working in 90 countries worldwide through a network of 125 clusters and acting as a platform for promoting European values, sharing knowledge, building capacity amongst its members and partners, and engaging local partners in dialogue and common cultural projects. Created in 2007, the New York cluster of EUNIC, bringing together around 40 cultural missions from the European Union, is working in partnership to strengthen the transatlantic dialogue and cultural cooperation and showcase European values and creativity.