European Literature Night 2018

This year’s program will delight lovers of all forms of art.

The works of contemporary European authors will be presented for the second time in a non-traditional fashion to the New York public. This year’s program, which includes a series of public readings, will be enriched by several special events.

WORLDS COLLIDE ON MULTICULTURAL EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF 15 EUROPEAN NOVELS THROUGH READINGS, MUSICAL WORLD PREMIERES, VISUAL ART, ARCHITECTURE, FILM, AND PLATFORMS FOR POWERFUL DISCUSSION.

As spectators move from room to room to discover these literary works, they will also have the chance to experience the unique impressions these novels have left on a plethora of artists. The inspirations they took away will be expressed through different mediums — whether it be art, film, or music — and will give viewers a truly sensational first look into the novels being presented. Art and literature are often thought to belong to their own separate worlds, but this exceptional night brings them together and makes them equally accessible to all visitors.

Guests will not only be a part of the audience, they will also have the opportunity to participate in various conversations with writers, translators, and artists, among others. Throughout the evening, events will be divided into reading and reflecting times. Authors have chosen excerpts from their works to serve as springboards for conversations with the attendees and for discussions of themes important to their writing. These opportunities for reflection will offer unique occasions for exchanges between creators and consumers.

For the musical component of ELN, students of Mannes’ Composition Department chaired by Lowell Liebermann, “one of America’s most frequently performed and recorded living composers” will showcase 11 compositions in their world premieres. Each of these student compositions is directly inspired by the literary work with which it is paired. In addition, Liebermann’s own Immer, from Six Songs on Poems of Nelly Sachs, Op. 14, will be performed as part of a special closing event in the BNH Ballroom.

A very special guest is the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Czech-born American author and illustrator Peter Sís. A recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award — the highest recognition that can be given to a writer or illustrator of children’s books – and eight-time winner of The New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, Sís will be speaking about the genesis of his latest book, whose subject is Sir Nicholas Winton. Dubbed the “British Schindler,” Winton’s Czech Kindertransport saved the lives of 669 children in the months before the outbreak of World War II. This discussion will take place at the closing event in the Ballroom on the 4th floor of BNH and be followed by a Q&A and reception.

Along with the abundance of live performances and readings, the much-loved European café culture is also being brought back. There will be assorted delicacies and beverages provided by the represented countries for people to sample, perhaps for the first time. Additionally, Bohemian Spirit, an authentic and delicious Czech restaurant connected to the BNH, will be open for dinner until 10PM.

Select books will be available for purchase throughout the evening in their English translated versions at the Book Fair in the Ballroom. They represent diverse and varied countries of Europe: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.

European Literature Night is the second largest project of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in New York. Besides the Panorama Europe Film Festival, we are proud to welcome twelve partner organizations at European Literature Night, including the EU Delegation at the United Nations, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic, the New School, and more than a hundred individuals from a wide array of writers, translators, editors, publishers, actors, composers, musicians, artists, diplomats, and teachers.

All guests are welcome free of charge to partake in this spectacle that brings together writing and the arts. Join us for ELN 2018 and witness how literature can serve as a medium for connecting different ideas and launching necessary conversations in our rapidly changing global world.