Romania will participate with a national stand at the Leipzig Book Fair, scheduled for April 27-30, where it will present over 150 new volumes of fiction, children’s literature and non-fiction, under the title „Books For Friends”, write Agerpres.

According to a press release, the Ministry of Culture will organise 18 events at Romania’s stand dedicated to Romanian authors translated into German, but also to current cultural and political topics, among the authors invited being Gabriela Adamesteanu, Mircea Cartarescu, Ioana Parvulescu, Lavinia Braniste, Ioana Nicolaie, Oleg Serebrian and Adrian Schiop.

„After a break of three editions, caused by the pandemic, the Leipzig Book Fair, the most important platform for the promotion of literature in Eastern Europe, reopens its doors to the general public. Romania’s presence, organised by the Ministry of Culture, under the motto „Books for Friends,” will consist this year of a 50 sqm stand, with its own design and a selection of more than 150 new titles, as well as a programme comprising 18 events involving 22 participants from Romania and Germany.

At the Romanian stand, the focus will be on Romanian authors recently translated into German, as well as discussions and debates on current cultural and political topics. As always, there will be guests from the Republic of Moldova – publishers, authors, journalists, whose books have recently stood out in our literary world,” reads a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

According to the quoted source, on this occasion there will be launched the translation of the volume „Paul Celan – Romanian dimension” by Petre Solomon, and writers Gabriela Adamesteanu, Ioana Parvulescu, Ioana Nicolaie and Lavinia Braniste will address the theme of women’s literature in Romania in the debate „The writings of Romanian women already open new perspectives,” moderated by translator Eva Wemme.

Also, under the motto „Focus Europe,” there will be two debates focusing on the issue of war and how it is reflected in European literature, with the participation of important writers and analysts from Germany, Ukraine, Bosnia Herzegovina, Poland and the Republic of Moldova.

The Romanian Cultural Institute in Berlin will also be this year partner of the Ministry of Culture in Berlin with two events.

„The Haus fur Poesie in Berlin will host the launch of the German translation of Petre Solomon’s Paul Celan – die rumanische Dimension (Editions Noack & Block), published this year by Edition Noack & Block (…) At the end of the event there will be screened the film „Duo pentru paoloncel si petronom” („Duo for Paul Celan and Petre Solomon”) directed by Alexandru Solomon (1994, 28 minutes), an essay about the power of poetry and friendship between Paul Celan and Petre Solomon (…) At the ICR Berlin there will be presented the novel Wo die Hunde in drei Sprachen bellen, the German translation of the novel „Inocentii” (The Innocent) by Ioana Parvulescu,” the press release also informs.