About this Event
Authors, translators, and performers representing 11 European countries will gather in New York City for the annual European Literature Night. Hosted by Ukrainian Institute of America, the program will feature inspiring multilingual readings, Q&As, and panel discussions exploring the key topics of current world.
An annual literary showcase bringing some of the best European writers and contemporary literature to New York’s audiences and readers, ELN 2023 is presented by members of EUNIC New York cluster in collaboration with PEN America.
The Ukrainian Institute of America once again plays host, promising an evening rich with multilingual readings, engaging Q&As, and two panel discussions, moderated by Sabir Sultan, the Associate Director of the World Voices Festival and Literary Programs, and Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Chief Program Officer, Literary Programming, both at PEN America.
Date: November 2, 2023, 6 PM – 10 PM
Venue: Ukrainian Institute of America
Participating Countries: Austria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain (Basque Country), Ukraine
Doors open at 5:30 PM
Program:
6:00-6:15 Opening remarks by Czech Center New York, Ukrainian Institute of America, and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations
6:15-7:00 Panel Discussion 1 – Contemporary Literature and Global Crises (moderated by Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Chief Program Officer, Literary Programming at PEN America)
The contemporary writer is a writer in a time of upheaval. Today, European writers write at a moment where instability looms and they are confronted with the human impact of global migration, the danger of the climate crisis, the long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the devastating war in Ukraine. In this conversation, writers will discuss how they choose to speak to the current political moment in their work and reflect on how it may have affected their creative processes and approach to their craft. The panel will feature Kätlin Kaldmaa (EE), Anja Kampmann (DE), Andrey Kurkov (UA), Sanaé Lemoine (FR), and Kat Mustatea (RO).
7:00-7:20 Tribute to the poets Natália Correia, Eugénio de Andrade and Mário Cesariny. Performed by Pedro Henriques da Silva (PT)
7:30-8:15 Panel Discussion 2 – The Past is Present (moderated by Sabir Sultan, Associate Director, World Voices Festival and Literary Programs at PEN America)
While the historian’s work of excavating the past offers invaluable revelations about the current political landscape of Europe, writers employ literary imagination to create insights into who we are, what happened, and what comes next. In this conversation the speakers will reflect on how they sometimes mine the national archives, historical narratives, and collective memory in their practice as writers and storytellers. The panel will feature Anna Frajlich-Zajac (PL), Lore Segal (AT), Laima Vincė Sruoginis (LT), Kateřina Tučková (CZ), and Kirmen Uribe (ES).
8:20-9:20 Intimate Author Readings in Breakout Rooms
Breakout room 1 – Lore Segal (AT), Sanaé Lemoine (FR)
Breakout room 2 – Kätlin Kaldmaa (EST), Anja Kampmann (DE)
Breakout room 3 – Kirmen Uribe (ESP), Kateřina Tučková (CZ)
Breakout room 4 – Anna Frajlich-Zajac (PO), Kat Mustatea (RO)
Breakout room 5 – Laima Vincė Sruoginis (LT), Andrey Kurkov (UA)
9:20-9:30 Closing remarks
9:30-10:00 Final gathering and reception
10:00 PM Event ends
Authors and books that will be presented:
Austria – Lore Segal: Ladies’ Lunch
Czechia – Kateřina Tučková: The Last Goddess
Estonia – Kätlin Kaldmaa: One is none
France – Sanaé Lemoine: The Margot Affair
Germany – Anja Kampmann: High as the Waters Rise
Lithuania – Laima Vincė Sruoginis: Matilda Olkinaitė. The Unlocked Diary
Poland – Anna Frajlich-Zajac: The Ghost of Shakespeare. Collected essays
Portugal – Pedro Henriques da Silva: Tribute to the poets Natália Correia, Eugénio de Andrade and Mário Cesariny
Romania – Kat Mustatea: Voidopolis
Spain (Basque Country) – Kirmen Uribe: Past Life of Dolphins
Ukraine – Andrey Kurkov: Grey Bees
Free and open to the public with registration.
An edited recording of the evening will be available on www.trafikaeurope.org.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 East 79th Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00