FIRST TBILISI INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE
Programme
18 MAY, MONDAY
Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia, 13, Machabeli str.
12.00 Press Conference: organizers, sponsors, partners
18.00 Opening of the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature
18.30 Philip Besson (France) - meeting with the public
/book presentation “DE LÀ, ON VOIT LA MER” (“Intelekti” Publishing).
Discussion language: French with Georgian translation
20.00 Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus) talks with AnnaKordzaia-Samadashvili.
Book presentation “Voices from Chernobyl” (“Artanuji” Publishing).
Discussion language: Russian
21.30 Poetry Jam – with the participation of all poets of the Festival
19 MAY, TUESDAY
15.00 Philip Besson (France) meets Tbilisi State University students
Tbilisi State University, bulding 5, Auditorium 309, (36, Chavchavadze Av.)
18.00 Raoul Schrott (Austria) - Hesiod’s “Theogony”,
Homer’s “Iliad”, ancient texts, their sources and background
Moderation by Lasha Bakradze
Discussion language: German with Georgian translation
Literature Museum (8, Chanturia Str.)
18.00 Claudio Pozzani (Italy) meets the students of Dante Alighieri Society
Discussion language: Italian
Dante Alighieri Society, Tbilisi Committee (6, Kalistrate Kutateladze str.)
18.00 Vera Pavlova (U.S.) – poetry evening
Language: Russian
Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni Str.)
19.00 Mikolaj Lozinski (Poland) meeting with the public
Moderation by Magda Novakovska
Discussion language: Polish with Georgian translation
Europe House Tbilisi (1, Freedom Square)
19.00 Sarah Bower (UK), Anthea Nicholson (UK) moderation by Davit Gabunia
Discussion language: English with Georgian translation
Writers’ House of Georgia (13. Machabeli str. )
20.30 Caronlyn Forche (U.S.), Kimberly Johnson (U.S),
Paata Shamugia (Georgia) - Poetry evening
Language: English, Georgian
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabelis str.)
20 MAY, WEDNESDAY
15.00 Sarah Bower (UK) meets students of Free University.
Workshop on creative writing
Discussion language: English
Free University (240, David Aghmashenebely Alley)
18.00 Violet Grigoryan (Armenia), Giunel Mevlud (Azerbaijan),
Eka Kevanishvili (Georgia) – poetry evening
Language: Armenian, Azeribaijani and Georgian with English translation
Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni Str.)
18.00 Raoul Schrott (Austria) – Lyric and Prose, meeting with the public.
Discussion language: German
Goethe Institute Tbilisi (16, Zandukeli Str.)
19.00 Photo exhibition “Ukrainian Night” with photographer
Miron Zownir and author of the book Kateryna Mishchenko
Serhiy Zhadan (Ukraine) talks about events in Ukraine.
Moderation by Lasha Bakradze
Discussion language: Russian with Georgian translation
Europe House Tbilisi (1, Freedom Square)
19.00 Claudio Pozzani (Italy) – poetry reading, meeting with the public.
Presentation of the translation of his book “March of Shadow”.
Presentation of “Anthology of modern Georgian poetry” in Italian translation.
Translator: Nunu Geladze
Language: Italian with Georgian translation
Writers House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str.)
20.30 Poetry of Lithuanian poets
Language: Lithuanian with Georgian translation
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str.)
21 MAY, THURSDAY
14.30 Josip Novakovich (Croatia/Canada) meets students of the University of Georgia.
Moderation by David Dephy
Language: English with Georgian translation
Georgian University, auditorium 519 (77, M. Kostava Str.)
18.00 Presentation of U.S. Embassy Book translation program
Language: English with Georgian translation
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str)
19.00 Panel discussion: “Poetry today: off-center of literary mainstream” –
Claudio Pozzani (Italy), Violet Grigorian (Armenia),
Vera Pavlova (U.S.), Kimberly Johnson (U.S), Rati Amaglobeli (Georgia).
The development of book-market leaves less and less space for poetry today.
Unlike the centuries’ long literary tradition, poetry has moved way out of literary mainstream.
Contemporary poets discuss the “survival” strategies and their own related experiences.
Discussion language: English/Russian with Georgian translation
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str)
20.30 Vera Pavlova (U.S.), Serhiy Zhadan (Ukraine)
and Zviad Ratiani (Georgia) - poetry evening
Language: Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str)
22 MAY, FRIDAY
14.30 Lucy Tapahonso (U.S.) meets the students of the American Academy in Tbilisi
Discussion language: English
American Academy in Tbilisi (Lisis Tba (Lake), 01/014)
18.00 Rasul Yunan (Iran) talks with Giorgi Lobjanidze
Discussion language: Persian with Georgian translation
Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni Str.)
18.00 Panel discussion: “Writer and Citizen – civil responsibility of the author”
Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus), Carolyn Forche (U.S.), Lucy Tapahonso (U.S.A),
Josip Novakovich (Croatia/Canada), Giunel Mevlud
(Azerbaijan), Lasha Bugadze (Georgia).
Moderation by Levan Berdzenishvili (Georgia)
What are the challenges of a writer in the 21st century?
Has the role of the writer changed with the development of technologies and the media?
Has the influence of a writer on the society diminished?
What place does the writer as a citizen have today and what can he/she change?
Discussion language: English, Russian with Georgian translation
TBC Gallery (4, Marjanishvili str.)
20.00 Kimberly Johnson (U.S.), Carolyn Forche (U.S.)
and Zviad Ratiani (Georgia) In Memoriam Mark Strand
Language: English/Georgian
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str.)
21.00 Final poetry night with participation of all guests
Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli Str.)
23 MAY, SATURDAY
13:00 Childrens’ session with Vaso Guleuri and Davit Gabunia,
reading of Sven Nordkvist’s picture books “Findus and Petsson”
Language: Georgian
14:00 Workshop for students – how to write a play with
Lasha Bugadze (Georgia)
Language: Georgian
17:00 Workshop for students – creative writing with
Anna Kordzaia-Samadashvili (Georgia)
Language: Georgian
Programm +
Nino Surguladze’s exhibition of Theatre Costumes
