Literary polyphony – the prose readings festival starts online / Article

This year’s theme of “Prose Readings” is literary polyphony or literary languages. In total, more than ten different online events are expected, in which about 50 Latvian and foreign authors will participate.

The festival will open on December 2 at 7 pm with the event “Literary Languages”. On December 3, at 7 pm, a discussion of Baltic authors and translators “Baltic Literature in the World: Challenges and Opportunities for Translation” will take place, and at 5 pm – a reading of “CONTEXT” will be attended by authors representing various sections of the publication: Ilze More – Children’s literature, Paula Kukle – new authors’ section “Laboratory”, Gita Grīnberga – translated fiction, Inga Gaile – prose. The event will be hosted by the editor-in-chief of the monthly, Signe Viška.

From 6 to 10 December, every morning at 11.05, a Latvian prose writer will visit the Latvian Radio 1 program “Kultūras rondo”: Ieva Melgalve, Baiba Zīle, Andris Akmentiņš, Guntis Berelis and Vilis Kasims will take part in the readings. In turn, 6–10. In the evenings of December, the works of the winners of the open story competition “Stories of Pandemic Time” will be heard on the Facebook page of “Prose Readings”: Jane Steinberg’s “Children’s Hospital”. Thanks to the support of the State Cultural Capital Fund’s (SCCF) target program “KultūrElpa”, readings of “Pandemic Time Stories” will be provided in sign language into Latvian.

A reading organized by the Latvian PEN will take place on December 10 at 7 pm, with the participation of authors who transcend the boundaries of language, genres and themes in their literary works: Rihards Bargais, Elīna Kokareviča, Laura Šterna, Marija Luīze Melķe, Vents Vīnbergs. The event will be hosted by writer Inga Gaile.

Although the “Prose Readings” framework program traditionally takes place in Riga, co-operation with “Prose Readings” in the regions of Latvia continues this year as well. “Latgale prose readings” will take place online at 12.00 on December 12, while the text of the winner of the Kurzeme prose readings will be available at the closing event of “Prose Readings” on December 12 at 18.00. The closing event will be chaired by writer Haralds Matulis, with readings by Inga Gaile, Dace Rukšāne, Svens Kuzmins and Kārlis Vērdiņš, as well as a raffle and presentation of the festival prize.

The prose readings festival has been taking place since 1995. Since 2016, the festival has been organized by the Latvian Writers’ Union. The project is implemented with the support of the State Culture Capital Fund, the SCCF target program “CultureElpa” and the Riga City Council.

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