Writers Cristian Tudor Popescu and Oleg Seberian, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, open the 11th edition of FILTM. 14 important names of today’s European literature, 4 towns in Banat
An absolute novelty in the architecture of this year’s program is the reason that, in addition to the traditional events from Timisoara, FILM it also extends to other localities in Timiș County, such as LUGOJULUI and Jimboliabut also towards REŞIŢA from the neighboring county, Caraș-Severin, the city in Banat with the most emerging recent cultural development.
Writers from Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Serbia and Republic of Moldova will join in public readings and debates some important names of today’s Romanian literature, over four days: October 26-28 – The Baroque Hall of the Art Museum in Timișoara; October 27 – Reșița, Cultural Palace (West Theatre); October 28 – Jimbolia Secondary School; October 29 – Lugoj, English Pub.
“Books and Maps. Literary Neighborhoods” It is the theme of this edition of FILTM, an extremely topical theme, in a world where geographical borders are shaking. In front of literature, however, any border becomes fluid.
“Since Russia attacked Ukraine, a country neighboring Romania, fear and death have increased in intensity, and the dramas of those who lost their loved ones, of refugees who left their homes to save their lives, of Ukrainians who remained – and the country appears, they affected each of us. A war like the one in Ukraine is not only the “job” of the soldiers and their commanders, but of the main European. The war near us is an injustice that does not affect everyone, a reality that can turn into a nightmare without borders at any time. Although we do not directly take part in this conflict, it is essential to mention the common front existing from the very beginning against it. And not only denouncing the invasion of the Russian armies, not only being in solidarity with the Ukrainian peopleeyear and helping him, but doing what we each know best.
We, those who have been organizing the Timișoara International Literature Festival for 10 years, asked ourselves, on February 24, 2022, if there will be an XI edition. Unless the clanging war that very day will silence us. If not it will spread and generate world drama. Fortunately, this did not happen. The courage of the Ukrainian peopleeyear and the solidarity he enjoyed endureseand gave the confrontation another, encouraging turn. Therefore, we decided to organize FILTM again this year and try to make the best edition of the festival so far. One in which the voice of the muses covers that of the weapons, and literature does not unite and show itself, here, in Timișoara, where in 1989 he died for freedom, extraordinary and powers.“, a declaration Robert Sherban, the president of the Timișoara International Literature Festival.
The list of writers invited to this year’s edition of FILTM includes foreign prose writers Oksana Zabusko – one of the most important Ukrainian writers today, Faruk Šehić – Bosnian writer successfully translated into several languages, considered by European critics to be the voice of the “destroyed generation”, Oleg Serebrian – writer, historian, political scientist and diplomat, vice-prime minister of the Republic of Moldova, together with two of the most appreciated Romanian prose writers and publicists today: Cristian Tudor Popescu and Radu Paraschivescu.
They are joined by four important names of current European poetry: Aušra Kaziliūnaitė (Lithuania), Petar Matovic (Serbia), Katerina Rudchenkova (Czech Republic) and Grigory Semenchiuk (Ukraine) and Stefania Mihalache, Catalina Stanislav, Alexandru Higyed and Robert G. Elekesfrom Romania.
The hosts of the three evenings at the National Museum of Art will be: Magda Grădinaru, Matei Martin and Cosmin Perta. In Jimbolia, Lugoj and Reșita, the writers will be accompanied by Melania the Fifth, Marilena Tudor and Marcel Tolcea.