ROMANIA ROCKS, the first Romanian-British literature festival hosted by London
ROMANIA ROCKS takes place between October 17 and November 13, 2020 in London and online
România Internațional, 16.10.2020, 12:23
An enthusiastic and original project presented for the first time by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, ROMANIA ROCKS Romanian-British Literature Festival will take place between October 17 and November 13, 2020 in London and online.
Considered one of the most important literary events of the year, ROMANIA ROCKS brings together outstanding literary personalities of the two countries: famous contemporary British authors, such as Paul Bailey, AL Kennedy, Deborah Levy, David Mitchell, Ben Okri, Ian Rankin, Elif Shafak, Fiona Sampson, Axel Scheffler, and well-known Romanian authors such as Ana Blandiana, Magda Cârneci, Ruxandra Cesereanu, Eugen Chirovici, Marius Chivu, Andrei Codrescu, Norman Manea, Ioana Pârvulescu and Matei Vișniec.
Prefaced on September 30 by the launch of The Romanian Riveter, the first British magazine dedicated entirely to Romanian literature, the festival includes a series of events meant to bring Romanian literature closer to the readers of the world. The interviews, readings and conversations from the “Rock Talks” series will be thus completed by an event organized in cooperation with PEN Romania, which brings together poets Svetlana Cârstean, Claudiu Komartin, Radu Nițescu, Andra Rotaru and Radu Vancu, film screenings, a meeting with the architect Ioana Corduneanu, as well as events for children. Also participating are the writers Simona Antonescu and Florin Bican, as well as illustrators Maria and Ileana Surducan and artist Marlene Stanciu.
The “Rock Talks” series will also include an event in which translators Philip Boehm and Sean Cotter will talk about their work, referring to the two authors whose works they translated into English: Herta Müller, Nobel Prize winner in 2009 and Mircea Cărtărescu, a reference name in the Romanian culture. The festival program will also include an event dedicated to Romanian writers settled in Great Britain: Ioana Baetica Morpurgo, Stela Brînzeanu, Vica Demici, Cristina Mureșan, Simona Nastac, Anda Vahnovan, Andreea Scridon, moderated by journalist Paula Erizanu, a meeting with British authors who live in Romania, moderated by writer Bronwen Riley, a translation workshop organized in partnership with the British Center for Literary Translation, with the participation of translators Jozefina Komporaly, Diana Manole, Philip Ó Ceallaigh, Gabi Reigh, Andreea Scridon, Adam Sorkin and Lidia Vianu, as well as a Publishing Romania workshop, which brings together representatives of publishing houses from Romania and the UK. The festival will end on November 13 with a rock concert by the band Publika.
ROMANIA ROCKS is an initiative of the Romanian Cultural Institute — ICR in London headed by Magda Stroe, who is the festival’s director. British journalist Rosie Goldsmith is the festival’s curator and artistic director. Gabriela Mocan is a cultural entrepreneur and the festival’s creative producer. All events will be filmed by London Video Stories and can be accessed free of charge on the networks of the two partner organizations ICR and European Literature Network.
