23-25/11/2018 four European authors at European Literature Festival in Tokyo
Bringing European literature closer to the Japanese public
Based on the success of the pilot event in 2017, the European Literature Festival in Tokyo returns for a second edition, from 23 November to 25 November. As in the previous year, writers and translators from a wide range of European countries join experts from Japan to participate in a variety of events including readings, dialogues, and panel discussions. The aim is to bring European contemporary literature closer to the Japanese public through a wide range of activities. The Cultural Diplomacy Platform, in coordination with the EU Delegation in Japan, supports the participation of four European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) winning authors to the Festival:
- Lidija Dimkovska (FYR Macedonia)
- Adam Foulds (UK)
- Jasmin B. Frelih (Slovenia)
- Walid Nabhan (Malta)
Marking the 10th anniversary of EUPL, the four laureates will, on Friday 23, present their respective literary works. They will then be joined by Kevin Barry, EUPL laureate in 2012, for a panel discussion moderated by Masatsugu Ono. For this occasion, excerpts from their books have been translated into Japanese.
- More details on the panel discussion with the 4 EUPL winning authors here
- More details on the EUPL here
- See the organisers of the European Literature Festival here
Writing Residency
All 4 authors will, after the European Literature Festival, take part to a Residency programme in Naha, Okinawa (archipelago in the south of Japan), during one week to further engage European writers with the local context, projects and people from Japan and Okinawa.
The residency programme is developed in cooperation with the CRICAO organisation and their Collab Quarter project (project funded by creative Europe), which aims to create a local cultural development in Europe and third countries, including in the Okinawa prefecture. The writers will be accompanied in the island and introduced to its inhabitants, history, contemporary problems, and cultures. More information on the residency coming soon!