Literary feast ‘Long Night of LiteratureS’ enthralls the literary enthusiasts at the Instituto Cervantes in the capital

EE News Desk Sep 28, 2019

Long Night of LiteratureS mesmerized the literature enthusiasts of the capital with its fifth edition on 27th of September 2019 at Instituto Cervantes. This literary night started at 5:30pm and continued till midnight.

On the occasion of the European Day of Languages, authors from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey graced the current edition with their presence. Featuring a diverse mix of writers from different European countries, this literary gathering was an unforgettable affair for the attendees.

This literature feast hosted over 300 guests to witness the best literary compositions of the authors across Europe. The format of the event encouraged the audience to listen to a number of writers through the course of the evening. Each author represented short readings to rotating audience groups of 12-15 people in their native languages. Afterwards the audience got the opportunity to interact with the author in English to discuss their work and literature on a broader scope. The group then moved on to the next room to listen to another author. This concept allowed the audience to have close interactions with the writers.

One of the highlights of the evening was a virtual reality adaptation of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" by artist Mika Johnson, representing Germany.

“We are delighted to host international writers and intellectuals across Europe. This unique format enabled the audience to experience a rich mix of European writings and languages. We take this as an opportunity to present many European Literatures during one evening and form a common platform,” tells Ignacio Vitórica Hamilton from the Spanish Embassy and Instituto Cervantes, which served as the venue for Long Night LiteratureS in New Delhi.

The event was graced by a group of award-winning, renowned European authors who illuminated the audience by presenting their compositions:

· Mr. Martin Amanshauser, Austria

· Mr. Aleš Čermák, Czech Republic

· Ms. Anne-Cathrine Riebnitzsky, Denmark

· Ms. Emmi Itäranta, Finland

· Ms. Judit Hidas, Hungary

· Mr. Matteo Trevisani, Italy

· Ms. Aifric Mac Aodha, Ireland

· Ms. Clara Macedo Cabral, Portugal

· Ms. Blanca Riestra, Spain

· Ms. Dana Grigorcea, Switzerland

Apart from the abovementioned authors, the event hosted three winners of the European Union Literature Prize:

· Ms. Çiler İlhan (Turkey)

· Ms. Jan Carson (Ireland)

· Ms. Marta Dzido (Poland)

This extraordinary night of literary encounters was co-organized by a group of European embassies, cultural centres and the Delegation of the European Union to India, including:

· Austrian Cultural Forum; Danish Cultural Institute; German Goethe Institute; Hungarian Information and Cultural Institute; French Institute in India; Spanish Instituto Cervantes; Italian Cultural Centre; Portuguese Cultural Centre; and Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia

· Embassies of Austria; Czech Republic; Finland; France; Hungary; Ireland; Portugal; Spain; Switzerland, and the Delegation of the European Union to India