{"id":6904,"date":"2024-03-05T16:29:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T15:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/?p=6904"},"modified":"2025-08-22T17:33:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T15:33:59","slug":"european-writers-festival-2-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"European Writers’ Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

18 – 19 May 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0<\/strong>in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024<\/strong>\u00a0at the British Library. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two days of panels and performances will gather together\u00a030 established and emerging authors\u00a0<\/strong>from Austria to Ukraine to discuss the literature and ideas defining our countries and Europe today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writers will respond to this year\u2019s theme\u00a0Transformation,\u00a0<\/strong>because change, and the challenges of the fast and furious changes in society, politics, climate, identity, technology, science, the arts, health, language, humour and human rights, rock our lives. As we in Europe are again shaken to the core by war and division, the European Writers\u2019 Festival hopes to demonstrate that community, debate, entertainment and storytelling can unite us in creating hope and positive transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All events are in English and are chaired by a range of distinguished presenters, critics and academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poland will be represented by Malgorzata ( Margo) Rejmer<\/strong><\/strong>, an award-winning Polish novelist, reporter, and writer of short stories. She is the author of the non-fiction work Bucharest: Dust and Blood<\/strong>, which won the Newsweek Award for best book of 2013 and the Gryfia Literary Award. In 2018 she was awarded the Polityka Passport, the most prestigious prize in Poland for emerging artists, for Mud Sweeter than Honey, and in 2020 it won her the Ko\u015bcielski Prize. It was published in English translation in 2021 (Maclehose Press and Restless Books). Her published works of fiction include the novel Toximia and a recent collection of short stories, The Weight of Skin, of which the title story has been translated for inclusion in the forthcoming Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories. Her books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in Warsaw and Tirana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margo rejmer’s FEATURED BOOK: Mud Sweeter than Honey, <\/strong>published by\u00a0Maclehose, 2021, was co-translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and Zosia Krasodomska-Jones. Gripping reportage of Albania under communism, told through personal accounts of those whose lives were blighted and crushed by ruthless dictator Enver Hoxha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year the Festival also hosts a special guest, Andrey Kurkov, prize-winning Ukrainian novelist <\/strong>and journalist, who, since Russia’s full-scale invasion, has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, including his book of reportage Our Daily War<\/em>, pub. July 2024. He will discuss writing and war<\/strong> with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion<\/em>, Luke Harding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, on the afternoon of Friday 17th May<\/strong>, UCL and the writer in residence Joanna Elmy will lead a guided walk of European Literary London<\/a><\/strong>. More info to be shared soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please find the full programme below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SATURDAY 18TH MAY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10:30 doors open 11:00 \u2013 12:15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 1 – Europe Transformed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An inter-generational panel of great storytellers from North, South, East and West kicks off the festival by discussing how Europe and storytelling have changed since the first post-Cold War generation up to today. With Milena Michiko Fla\u0161ar (Austria), J\u00f3gvan Isaksen (Faroes), Nora Ikstena (Latvia) and Elisa Victoria (Spain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: ROSIE GOLDSMITH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12:45 \u2013 14:00<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 2 – Changing Gears <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very few of our festival authors work and write in one genre, so does genre matter? Can you be good at everything? Meet the former bank manager who writes fiction, the philosopher writing on Law, the academic-broadcaster and the musician-poet; among the many authors who switch jobs and genres, proving that changing gears only boosts creativity. With Laurent de Sutter (Belgium WBI), Kristiina Ehin (Estonia), Emma Dabiri (Ireland) and Sel\u00e7uk Altun (Turkey).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: TOBY LICHTIG<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In partnership with the Times Literary Supplement)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14:30 \u2013 15.45<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 3 – Transformation through Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has the art of translation \u2013 and attitudes to translation – changed in Europe? Does the plethora of grants and prizes help? All our festival writers are translated, several lead<\/p>\n\n\n\n

double lives as translators. What does that mean for their own writing? And how do they judge the status of translation across Europe and the UK?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Joanna Elmy (Bulgaria), Jordi Larios (Catalonia), Simone Atangana Bekono (Netherlands) and Ioana P\u00e2rvulescu (Romania).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: WILL FORRESTER<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(in Partnership with English PEN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16:15 \u2013 17:30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 4 – Change and Conflict<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our festival writers come from all over the world. What is the impact of war, conflict and displacement on how they live, think and write? How does conflict and geography influence their sense of belonging and identity? Can they ever forget trauma and loss or is the shadow of war and conflict always present, always part of their creative process? With Pajtim Statovci (Finland), Igiaba Scego (Italy) and Iryna Shuvalova (Ukraine).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: tbc<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

18:00 \u2013 18:45<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special Guest ANDREY KURKOV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Conversation with LUKE HARDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prize-winning Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov is also a prominent commentator and journalist. Since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion he has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, and his several fine books of reportage \u2013 including Our Daily War (pub. July 2024) – sit alongside his witty novels, and the first in a series of historical crime novels, The Silver Bone: the Kyiv Mysteries, out now. He discusses writing and war with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion, Luke Harding. (In partnership with Guardian Europe)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUNDAY 19TH MAY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11.30 doors open<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12:00 \u2013 13:15 PANEL 1 – Transforming Historical Narratives <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing about history is central to European literature but how we write about it, and who writes it, has changed. When your personal history is embedded in historic change how does that shape your narrative? Who are the writers taking over from the Great Men of History, to tell its stories in daring new ways?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Anne Berest (France), Christos Chomendis (Greece), Tomas Vaiseta (Lithuania) and Margo Rejmer (Poland). CHAIR: TIM BEASLEY-MURRAY <\/strong>(In partnership with University College London)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13:30 \u2013 14:45<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 2 \u2013 Breaking Boundaries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The originality, courage to experiment and boundary-breaking of so many festival writers are transforming European poetry and prose. They delight and stimulate readers \u2013 and will perhaps stimulate some change in writing in the UK? Our writers take on other worlds and literary traditions, from folk to fantasy, magical realism to sci-fi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Michal Ajvaz (Czech Republic), Alycia Pirmohamed (Scotland) and Sebastijan Pregelj (Slovenia).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: REBECCA JONES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15:00 \u2013 16.15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 3 – Europe on the Move<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How travel, journeys, migration and movement make their way onto the page. Europe is on the move again, by choice or by force or necessity: what kind of journeys are writers taking and how do they write about them? And after the pandemic, after Brexit, travel-writing itself is undergoing a revival in new and exciting ways. With Kristian Bang Foss (Denmark), Andrea Tompa (Hungary), Afonso Cruz (Portugal) and Zuska Kepplova (Slovakia).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: THARIK HUSSAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16:30 \u2013 17:30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL 4 – The New Europeans of the Future <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

European writers are increasingly multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual but how can we embrace this transformation and the wonderful opportunities these changes promise for the future? Several festival authors write in the \u2018new\u2019 languages of their new homes: how does that impact their craft, their identity and how they feel about home, nationhood and Europe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Dean Atta (Cyprus), Sasha Salzmann (Germany), Larisa Faber (Luxembourg) and Tone Schunnesson (Sweden).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAIR: BEE ROWLATT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Festival is organised by the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC<\/a>) London in partnership with the European Literature Network and the British Library, and with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom and the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom, the European Writers’ Festival is once again curated by former BBC journalist Rosie Goldsmith, director of the European Literature Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to secure your entry<\/strong>: TICKETS for one or both days are on sale HERE<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about the Festival HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

18 – 19 May 2024 Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London Building on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024\u00a0at the British Library. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":6933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-literature"],"yoast_head":"\nEuropean Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May - Instytut Polski w Londynie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"pl_PL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"European Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May - Instytut Polski w Londynie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"18 – 19 May 2024 Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London Building on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024\u00a0at the British Library. […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Instytut Polski w Londynie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-05T15:29:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-22T15:33:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"931\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"konopkab\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Napisane przez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"konopkab\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Szacowany czas czytania\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minut\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"event\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/\",\"name\":\"European Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":[\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo-300x202.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\"],\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-05T15:29:06+02:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-22T15:33:59+02:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/650660f82290e905505348ef8ca79a33\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/\"]}],\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"startDate\":\"2024-05-18T10:30:00+02:00\",\"endDate\":\"2024-05-19T06:30:00+02:00\",\"eventStatus\":\"EventScheduled\",\"eventAttendanceMode\":\"OfflineEventAttendanceMode\",\"location\":{\"@type\":\"place\",\"name\":\"\",\"address\":\"\",\"geo\":{\"@type\":\"GeoCoordinates\",\"latitude\":\"\",\"longitude\":\"\"}},\"description\":\"18 - 19 May 2024\\nPigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London\\nBuilding on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024\u00a0at the British Library. \\nTwo days of panels and performances will gather together\u00a030 established and emerging authors\u00a0from Austria to Ukraine to discuss the literature and ideas defining our countries and Europe today.\\nWriters will respond to this year\u2019s theme\u00a0Transformation,\u00a0because change, and the challenges of the fast and furious changes in society, politics, climate, identity, technology, science, the arts, health, language, humour and human rights, rock our lives. As we in Europe are again shaken to the core by war and division, the European Writers\u2019 Festival hopes to demonstrate that community, debate, entertainment and storytelling can unite us in creating hope and positive transformation.\\nAll events are in English and are chaired by a range of distinguished presenters, critics and academics.\\nPoland will be represented by Malgorzata ( Margo) Rejmer, an award-winning Polish novelist, reporter, and writer of short stories. She is the author of the non-fiction work Bucharest: Dust and Blood, which won the Newsweek Award for best book of 2013 and the Gryfia Literary Award. In 2018 she was awarded the Polityka Passport, the most prestigious prize in Poland for emerging artists, for Mud Sweeter than Honey, and in 2020 it won her the Ko\u015bcielski Prize. It was published in English translation in 2021 (Maclehose Press and Restless Books). Her published works of fiction include the novel Toximia and a recent collection of short stories, The Weight of Skin, of which the title story has been translated for inclusion in the forthcoming Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories. Her books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in Warsaw and Tirana.\\nMargo rejmer's FEATURED BOOK: Mud Sweeter than Honey, published by\u00a0Maclehose, 2021, was co-translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and Zosia Krasodomska-Jones. Gripping reportage of Albania under communism, told through personal accounts of those whose lives were blighted and crushed by ruthless dictator Enver Hoxha.\\nThis year the Festival also hosts a special guest, Andrey Kurkov, prize-winning Ukrainian novelist and journalist, who, since Russia's full-scale invasion, has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, including his book of reportage Our Daily War, pub. July 2024. He will discuss writing and war with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion, Luke Harding.\\nIn addition, on the afternoon of Friday 17th May, UCL and the writer in residence Joanna Elmy will lead a guided walk of European Literary London. More info to be shared soon.\\nPlease find the full programme below.\\nSATURDAY 18TH MAY\\n10:30 doors open 11:00 \u2013 12:15\\nPANEL 1 - Europe Transformed\\nAn inter-generational panel of great storytellers from North, South, East and West kicks off the festival by discussing how Europe and storytelling have changed since the first post-Cold War generation up to today. With Milena Michiko Fla\u0161ar (Austria), J\u00f3gvan Isaksen (Faroes), Nora Ikstena (Latvia) and Elisa Victoria (Spain).\\nCHAIR: ROSIE GOLDSMITH\\n12:45 \u2013 14:00\\nPANEL 2 - Changing Gears \\nVery few of our festival authors work and write in one genre, so does genre matter? Can you be good at everything? Meet the former bank manager who writes fiction, the philosopher writing on Law, the academic-broadcaster and the musician-poet; among the many authors who switch jobs and genres, proving that changing gears only boosts creativity. With Laurent de Sutter (Belgium WBI), Kristiina Ehin (Estonia), Emma Dabiri (Ireland) and Sel\u00e7uk Altun (Turkey).\\nCHAIR: TOBY LICHTIG \\n(In partnership with the Times Literary Supplement)\\n14:30 \u2013 15.45\\nPANEL 3 - Transformation through Translation\\nHow has the art of translation \u2013 and attitudes to translation - changed in Europe? Does the plethora of grants and prizes help? All our festival writers are translated, several lead\\ndouble lives as translators. What does that mean for their own writing? And how do they judge the status of translation across Europe and the UK?\\nWith Joanna Elmy (Bulgaria), Jordi Larios (Catalonia), Simone Atangana Bekono (Netherlands) and Ioana P\u00e2rvulescu (Romania).\\nCHAIR: WILL FORRESTER \\n(in Partnership with English PEN)\\n16:15 \u2013 17:30\\nPANEL 4 - Change and Conflict\\nOur festival writers come from all over the world. What is the impact of war, conflict and displacement on how they live, think and write? How does conflict and geography influence their sense of belonging and identity? Can they ever forget trauma and loss or is the shadow of war and conflict always present, always part of their creative process? With Pajtim Statovci (Finland), Igiaba Scego (Italy) and Iryna Shuvalova (Ukraine).\\nCHAIR: tbc\\n18:00 \u2013 18:45\\nSpecial Guest ANDREY KURKOV\\nIn Conversation with LUKE HARDING\\nPrize-winning Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov is also a prominent commentator and journalist. Since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion he has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, and his several fine books of reportage \u2013 including Our Daily War (pub. July 2024) - sit alongside his witty novels, and the first in a series of historical crime novels, The Silver Bone: the Kyiv Mysteries, out now. He discusses writing and war with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion, Luke Harding. (In partnership with Guardian Europe)\\nSUNDAY 19TH MAY\\n11.30 doors open\\n12:00 \u2013 13:15 PANEL 1 - Transforming Historical Narratives \\nWriting about history is central to European literature but how we write about it, and who writes it, has changed. When your personal history is embedded in historic change how does that shape your narrative? Who are the writers taking over from the Great Men of History, to tell its stories in daring new ways?\\nWith Anne Berest (France), Christos Chomendis (Greece), Tomas Vaiseta (Lithuania) and Margo Rejmer (Poland). CHAIR: TIM BEASLEY-MURRAY (In partnership with University College London)\\n13:30 \u2013 14:45\\nPANEL 2 \u2013 Breaking Boundaries.\\nThe originality, courage to experiment and boundary-breaking of so many festival writers are transforming European poetry and prose. They delight and stimulate readers \u2013 and will perhaps stimulate some change in writing in the UK? Our writers take on other worlds and literary traditions, from folk to fantasy, magical realism to sci-fi.\\nWith Michal Ajvaz (Czech Republic), Alycia Pirmohamed (Scotland) and Sebastijan Pregelj (Slovenia).\\nCHAIR: REBECCA JONES\\n15:00 \u2013 16.15\\nPANEL 3 - Europe on the Move\\nHow travel, journeys, migration and movement make their way onto the page. Europe is on the move again, by choice or by force or necessity: what kind of journeys are writers taking and how do they write about them? And after the pandemic, after Brexit, travel-writing itself is undergoing a revival in new and exciting ways. With Kristian Bang Foss (Denmark), Andrea Tompa (Hungary), Afonso Cruz (Portugal) and Zuska Kepplova (Slovakia).\\nCHAIR: THARIK HUSSAIN\\n16:30 \u2013 17:30\\nPANEL 4 - The New Europeans of the Future \\nEuropean writers are increasingly multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual but how can we embrace this transformation and the wonderful opportunities these changes promise for the future? Several festival authors write in the \u2018new\u2019 languages of their new homes: how does that impact their craft, their identity and how they feel about home, nationhood and Europe?\\nWith Dean Atta (Cyprus), Sasha Salzmann (Germany), Larisa Faber (Luxembourg) and Tone Schunnesson (Sweden).\\nCHAIR: BEE ROWLATT\\nThe Festival is organised by the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC) London in partnership with the European Literature Network and the British Library, and with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom and the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom, the European Writers' Festival is once again curated by former BBC journalist Rosie Goldsmith, director of the European Literature Network.\\nHow to secure your entry: TICKETS for one or both days are on sale HERE \\nFind out more about the Festival HERE.\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg\",\"width\":931,\"height\":627},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"European Writers’ Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/\",\"name\":\"Instytut Polski w Londynie\",\"description\":\"Instytuty Polskie\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/650660f82290e905505348ef8ca79a33\",\"name\":\"konopkab\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"konopkab\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/author\/konopkab\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"European Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May - Instytut Polski w Londynie","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/","og_locale":"pl_PL","og_type":"article","og_title":"European Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May - Instytut Polski w Londynie","og_description":"18 – 19 May 2024 Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London Building on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024\u00a0at the British Library. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/","og_site_name":"Instytut Polski w Londynie","article_published_time":"2024-03-05T15:29:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-22T15:33:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":931,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"konopkab","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Napisane przez":"konopkab","Szacowany czas czytania":"9 minut"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"event","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/","name":"European Writers' Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#primaryimage"},"image":["https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo-300x202.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg"],"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-05T15:29:06+02:00","dateModified":"2025-08-22T15:33:59+02:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/650660f82290e905505348ef8ca79a33"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"pl-PL","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/"]}],"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","startDate":"2024-05-18T10:30:00+02:00","endDate":"2024-05-19T06:30:00+02:00","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OfflineEventAttendanceMode","location":{"@type":"place","name":"","address":"","geo":{"@type":"GeoCoordinates","latitude":"","longitude":""}},"description":"18 - 19 May 2024\nPigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre, British Library, London\nBuilding on the success of the first\u00a0European Writers\u2019 Festival\u00a0in 2023, this year\u2019s festival brings together a new constellation of glittering stars from across Europe. With a launch party on Friday evening 17 May, the festival takes place from\u00a0May 18-19 2024\u00a0at the British Library. \nTwo days of panels and performances will gather together\u00a030 established and emerging authors\u00a0from Austria to Ukraine to discuss the literature and ideas defining our countries and Europe today.\nWriters will respond to this year\u2019s theme\u00a0Transformation,\u00a0because change, and the challenges of the fast and furious changes in society, politics, climate, identity, technology, science, the arts, health, language, humour and human rights, rock our lives. As we in Europe are again shaken to the core by war and division, the European Writers\u2019 Festival hopes to demonstrate that community, debate, entertainment and storytelling can unite us in creating hope and positive transformation.\nAll events are in English and are chaired by a range of distinguished presenters, critics and academics.\nPoland will be represented by Malgorzata ( Margo) Rejmer, an award-winning Polish novelist, reporter, and writer of short stories. She is the author of the non-fiction work Bucharest: Dust and Blood, which won the Newsweek Award for best book of 2013 and the Gryfia Literary Award. In 2018 she was awarded the Polityka Passport, the most prestigious prize in Poland for emerging artists, for Mud Sweeter than Honey, and in 2020 it won her the Ko\u015bcielski Prize. It was published in English translation in 2021 (Maclehose Press and Restless Books). Her published works of fiction include the novel Toximia and a recent collection of short stories, The Weight of Skin, of which the title story has been translated for inclusion in the forthcoming Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories. Her books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in Warsaw and Tirana.\nMargo rejmer's FEATURED BOOK: Mud Sweeter than Honey, published by\u00a0Maclehose, 2021, was co-translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and Zosia Krasodomska-Jones. Gripping reportage of Albania under communism, told through personal accounts of those whose lives were blighted and crushed by ruthless dictator Enver Hoxha.\nThis year the Festival also hosts a special guest, Andrey Kurkov, prize-winning Ukrainian novelist and journalist, who, since Russia's full-scale invasion, has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, including his book of reportage Our Daily War, pub. July 2024. He will discuss writing and war with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion, Luke Harding.\nIn addition, on the afternoon of Friday 17th May, UCL and the writer in residence Joanna Elmy will lead a guided walk of European Literary London. More info to be shared soon.\nPlease find the full programme below.\nSATURDAY 18TH MAY\n10:30 doors open 11:00 \u2013 12:15\nPANEL 1 - Europe Transformed\nAn inter-generational panel of great storytellers from North, South, East and West kicks off the festival by discussing how Europe and storytelling have changed since the first post-Cold War generation up to today. With Milena Michiko Fla\u0161ar (Austria), J\u00f3gvan Isaksen (Faroes), Nora Ikstena (Latvia) and Elisa Victoria (Spain).\nCHAIR: ROSIE GOLDSMITH\n12:45 \u2013 14:00\nPANEL 2 - Changing Gears \nVery few of our festival authors work and write in one genre, so does genre matter? Can you be good at everything? Meet the former bank manager who writes fiction, the philosopher writing on Law, the academic-broadcaster and the musician-poet; among the many authors who switch jobs and genres, proving that changing gears only boosts creativity. With Laurent de Sutter (Belgium WBI), Kristiina Ehin (Estonia), Emma Dabiri (Ireland) and Sel\u00e7uk Altun (Turkey).\nCHAIR: TOBY LICHTIG \n(In partnership with the Times Literary Supplement)\n14:30 \u2013 15.45\nPANEL 3 - Transformation through Translation\nHow has the art of translation \u2013 and attitudes to translation - changed in Europe? Does the plethora of grants and prizes help? All our festival writers are translated, several lead\ndouble lives as translators. What does that mean for their own writing? And how do they judge the status of translation across Europe and the UK?\nWith Joanna Elmy (Bulgaria), Jordi Larios (Catalonia), Simone Atangana Bekono (Netherlands) and Ioana P\u00e2rvulescu (Romania).\nCHAIR: WILL FORRESTER \n(in Partnership with English PEN)\n16:15 \u2013 17:30\nPANEL 4 - Change and Conflict\nOur festival writers come from all over the world. What is the impact of war, conflict and displacement on how they live, think and write? How does conflict and geography influence their sense of belonging and identity? Can they ever forget trauma and loss or is the shadow of war and conflict always present, always part of their creative process? With Pajtim Statovci (Finland), Igiaba Scego (Italy) and Iryna Shuvalova (Ukraine).\nCHAIR: tbc\n18:00 \u2013 18:45\nSpecial Guest ANDREY KURKOV\nIn Conversation with LUKE HARDING\nPrize-winning Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov is also a prominent commentator and journalist. Since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion he has travelled the world campaigning to raise support for Ukraine. He has also continued to write, and his several fine books of reportage \u2013 including Our Daily War (pub. July 2024) - sit alongside his witty novels, and the first in a series of historical crime novels, The Silver Bone: the Kyiv Mysteries, out now. He discusses writing and war with The Guardian\u2019s Senior international correspondent and author of Invasion, Luke Harding. (In partnership with Guardian Europe)\nSUNDAY 19TH MAY\n11.30 doors open\n12:00 \u2013 13:15 PANEL 1 - Transforming Historical Narratives \nWriting about history is central to European literature but how we write about it, and who writes it, has changed. When your personal history is embedded in historic change how does that shape your narrative? Who are the writers taking over from the Great Men of History, to tell its stories in daring new ways?\nWith Anne Berest (France), Christos Chomendis (Greece), Tomas Vaiseta (Lithuania) and Margo Rejmer (Poland). CHAIR: TIM BEASLEY-MURRAY (In partnership with University College London)\n13:30 \u2013 14:45\nPANEL 2 \u2013 Breaking Boundaries.\nThe originality, courage to experiment and boundary-breaking of so many festival writers are transforming European poetry and prose. They delight and stimulate readers \u2013 and will perhaps stimulate some change in writing in the UK? Our writers take on other worlds and literary traditions, from folk to fantasy, magical realism to sci-fi.\nWith Michal Ajvaz (Czech Republic), Alycia Pirmohamed (Scotland) and Sebastijan Pregelj (Slovenia).\nCHAIR: REBECCA JONES\n15:00 \u2013 16.15\nPANEL 3 - Europe on the Move\nHow travel, journeys, migration and movement make their way onto the page. Europe is on the move again, by choice or by force or necessity: what kind of journeys are writers taking and how do they write about them? And after the pandemic, after Brexit, travel-writing itself is undergoing a revival in new and exciting ways. With Kristian Bang Foss (Denmark), Andrea Tompa (Hungary), Afonso Cruz (Portugal) and Zuska Kepplova (Slovakia).\nCHAIR: THARIK HUSSAIN\n16:30 \u2013 17:30\nPANEL 4 - The New Europeans of the Future \nEuropean writers are increasingly multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual but how can we embrace this transformation and the wonderful opportunities these changes promise for the future? Several festival authors write in the \u2018new\u2019 languages of their new homes: how does that impact their craft, their identity and how they feel about home, nationhood and Europe?\nWith Dean Atta (Cyprus), Sasha Salzmann (Germany), Larisa Faber (Luxembourg) and Tone Schunnesson (Sweden).\nCHAIR: BEE ROWLATT\nThe Festival is organised by the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC) London in partnership with the European Literature Network and the British Library, and with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom and the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom, the European Writers' Festival is once again curated by former BBC journalist Rosie Goldsmith, director of the European Literature Network.\nHow to secure your entry: TICKETS for one or both days are on sale HERE \nFind out more about the Festival HERE."},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/03\/EWF2-plain-logo.jpg","width":931,"height":627},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2024\/03\/05\/european-writers-festival-2-transformation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"European Writers’ Festival 2: Transformation 18-19th May"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#website","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/","name":"Instytut Polski w Londynie","description":"Instytuty Polskie","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"pl-PL"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/650660f82290e905505348ef8ca79a33","name":"konopkab","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"konopkab"},"url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/author\/konopkab\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6904"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11125,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6904\/revisions\/11125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}