Three writers, Magdalena Parys (PL), Hélène Bukowski (DE) and Kateřina Tučková (CZ), will take part in the literary discussion “When the novel is permeated by the breath of European history” at the “Place de l’Europe” stand. The European Agora is a unique venue at the heart of the Foire du Livre, where writers, authors and publishers exchange views on culture as a democratic instrument.

A Berlin-based political thriller by Poland’s Magdalena Parys (FR “Le Prince”, Agullo) echoes the rise of right-wing extremists in Germany. Kateřina Tučková’s “Les dernières déesses” (FR Charleston), translated into twenty languages, is a novel that intertwines reality and fiction through the stories of extraordinary women who have shaped the history of the Czech Republic. Helene Bukowski, with her portrayal of a soldier in “La guerrière” (FR Gallmeister), emerges as a new German voice drawing significant attention, as she explores the enduring legacy of violence experienced across multiple generations.

Three voices that matter in European literature, three novels permeated by the breath of history.

“When the novel is permeated by the breath of European History”.
Friday, April 5, 18:00-19:00
Tour & Taxi – Gare Maritime
Hosted by Tara Lennart
The meeting will be translated into English and French.

A book signing will take place after the event at around 19:00.

More information

Organized by the Foire du Livre de Bruxelles, the Polish Institute Brussels, the Czech Center Brussels and the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Magdalena Parys © Anna Powałowska  

Magdalena Parys was born in 1971 in Gdansk. At the age of 12, she emigrated with her family to Germany. A graduate of Humboldt University, she now resides in Berlin, where she founded the Polish-German literary magazine Squaws. In addition to writing poems and short stories, “188 Meters Under Berlin” marks her debut novel, for which she was awarded the Golden Owl prize in Austria. In 2019, she published “The Magician,” which won the European Union Literature Prize.

With her latest novel, “The Prince,” the second installment of a Berlin trilogy, Magdalena Parys immerses readers into the extreme right-wing circles inherited from the Nazism of post-war East Germany.

Published in French:  

“188 mètres sous Berlin”, Agullo Editions, 2018, translation: Margot Carlier et Caroline Raszka-Dewez 

“Le Magicien ”, Agullo Editions, 2019, translation: Margot Carlier et Caroline Raszka-Dewez  

“Le Prince”, Agullo Editions, 2023, translation: Margot Carlier et Caroline Raszka-Dewez