9^th October, 11:00, Canetti House

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation between Poland and Germany, which was signed on 17 June 1991. To mark the occasion the Polish Institute in Sofia organised the poster exhibition with the title “Poles and Germans. Stories of a Dialogue.” The exhibition shows the development of relations between Germany and Poland from the Second World War onwards. From their hostile relations until the turning point of reconciliation and cooperation. The posters display the uniqueness of the Polish-German dialogue, the dense network of contacts – not only cultural and economic, but also people-to-people. Current topics in the relations, which still require more dialogue are not overlooked as well. In Ruse the exhibition will be opened by the Director of the Polish Institute in Sofia Dr. Jarosław Godun and the President of the Canetti Society – Prof. Penka Angelova.

10^th October, 17:30, Canetti House

Lecture by Henrike Schmidt – Virtual Anthologies, a New Kind of Literature

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Henrike Schmidt (1969) studied Slavic Literatures, History and Economics in Bonn, Köln and St. Petersburg. Her PhD thesis (2000) was dedicated to intermedial conceptions of poetic language in Russian poetry of the 20th century. Schmidt is Associate Professor at the Peter Szondi-Institute for Comparative Literature, at The Freie Universität Berlin. As part of an academic network she explored the emerging digital and net culture in Russia. Schmidt’s further research interests include contemporary Russian poetry and Bulgarian literature. In her lecture at the Festival she will presenther most recent scientific project – research on the importance of anthologies for the modern literary life in Bulgaria.

Schmidt will also present the students’ project “Mansard People”. The well-received poetry volume “Nie spored mansardata/Mansard People” was published in 2014 in Bulgarian and subsequently also translated into German. The poet Ivan Landzhev (1986) is one of the promising young names in Bulgarian literature. A collaboration with students from the Hamburg Academy of Design made them drawing sketches and graphics connected with the poems. Henrike Schmidt will bring the graphics and explain about the project.

19:00, Canetti House

Emil Basat and the Art of Translation

Мoderation: Prof. Penka Angelova

 “DADA 100 – Tristan Tzara and His World”- Exhibition on Cubism and Dadaism

Introduction: Alexander Wollmann

The International Elias Canetti Societytogether with theMunicipal Enterprise “Ruse Art” will offer the rare opportunity to the visitors of the festival to have a glance at some rarely shown graphical works by Henry Matisse, André Masson and Hans Arp. Dadaism, an art form invented in the early 20th centuryin Zurich, revolutionized the then dominating concept of art and rapidly gained international influence. All of the artists in the exhibition played a key role in the dadaistic movement contributing their individual techniques of impressionism and expressionism respectively.They are all united by their friendship to the Romanian-French poet Tristan Tzara. The exhibition “DADA 100 – Tristan Tzara and His World” will show selected graphic works from the three painters in combination with poems by Tristan Tzara.

The works of art are from the private collection of Mr. Thomas Emmerling, whom we would like to extend our special thanks for the organization of their exposition in Ruse. You can visit it until the end of November.

Screening of the theatre play Cinderellas Ltd.

In the presence of the director and one of the authors Gergana Dimitrova together with the visual artist Petko Tanchev

Bulgarian-German Theatre Co-Production

Moderator: Svetlana Kirova

Cinderella is the personification of a dream come true. Every little girl passes through that dream. It is the promise that what awaits us as soon as we overcome some obstacles and difficulties is precisely the man, the Prince, and that we can freely head on the road to a happy, carefree life. What are the consequences of that promise and what does it leave behind when faced with real life? Cinderellas Ltd. traces out the interlacing of the stories of three women on the verge of middle age. Although they come from different countries (Italy, USA, Bulgaria) and speak different languages, their questions and cravings, their expectations and difficulties correspond surprisingly well to one another. In Ruse we are looking forward to a discussion with the director and founder of 36 Mokeys Gergana Dimitrova. After that the lights get switched off for a unique artistic screening of the play. 36 Monkeys is an organization for contemporary alternative art and culture carries out not-for-profit activity to the benefit of the general public.

Literary reading with Levente Király – „Song of Songs”

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Levente Király is born in 1976 in Szeged. He has obtained degrees in Hungarian philology and Communications at the University “Loránd Eötvös”, Budapest. Resides in the Hungarian capital, where he is an editor in the Corvina Publishing House. Király has published books with poetry, has written a short story compilation and a novel. His works have been included in various anthologies. He has written three plays – one of which is „The Wild Swans” – based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Király received the „Atilla Gerecz” Prize in 2000. The announce to his novel „Song of Songs” directs towards the mystical ancient concepts, which are present in the book: „The author doesn’t reproduce the genre of analytical psychology, but resurrects the archaic tradition of legends. The meeting between the world and the man takes place by way of the eternal Spirit. The competent answer to the question of man’s meaning of existence is found in the rise to the transcendence of Love. In order to achieve it, the author uses an archaic specific language that reminds of the poetry of West-European romanticism from the beginning of XVIII c. and the beginning of the XIX c. Even the scenes that appear to be look more casual – such as hairdressing, having a supper, the sexual act – are part of a ceremony of inception and cleansing through which the chosen and blessed person may turn out to enter the almost atemporal condition of enlightenment.”

18:30, Canetti House

Literary reading with SavaVasilev – From the “Wayward Luka” till “the rock musical”

Moderator: Marian Savov

The writer, literary historian and professor at the University of Veliko Tarnovo Sava Vasilev will present his latest edition of his short novel “The Wayward Luka”, which was published as a separate volume at the beginning of 2016 in Croatia (Nepokorni Luka, 2016, Rijeka). The short novel is part of a book with the same title that unites stories and plays and came out in Bulgaria a few years ago. The writer will tell interesting facts, related to the idea about the novel’s writing and its realization. He will also read excerpts from his literary works, among which the libretto for a musical that he is currently engaged with. Sava Vasilev is the author of 14 books, three of which are belletristic. He has written the first and only monographs about Vladimir Vasilev – the important literary critic and editor-in-chief of the “Zlatorog” Magazine, and about the writer Gencho Stoev. Sava Vasilev is the chairman of the National Society for literature, science and arts “Formula 6”. He is also the editor-in-chief of the “Sveta Gora” Almanac and of the “Literary bulletin” Newspaper.

19:30, Canetti House

Literary reading with Bozhidar Bogdanov – “Pterodactyls”

Moderator: Sava Vasilev

Bozhidar Boganov is born on 30 January 1963 in the village of Dekov, the region of Pleven. He has graduated from the University of Veliko Tarnovo with a degree in Bulgarian Philology. He has published articles mostly in “Literary newspaper”, “Literary Forum”, The Flame Magazine, The Chronicles (Letopisi) Magazine, the almanac “Sveta Gora” and others. He has published 13 poetry books, among which: “Bulgarian people body”, “Smoke over the library”, “Hexametres”, “Interiors”, “Demiurgical exercises”, “Metaphysics of movements” and “Pteurodactyls”. He has been nominated for the Ivan Nikolov Award in 2007 and the Nickolay Kanchev Award in 2015. In 2010 is awarded “Golden Danubean Feather” by the Svishtov Municipality and the Union of the Bulgarian Writers. His texts have been translated into Russian, Hungarian and Croatian language. He is a member of the Union of the Bulgarian Writers.

Reading with Daniel Goetsch – A Heart of Sand

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Starting to write at an early age Daniel Goetsch decided at the age of 27 – after receiving a master`s degree in Law – to make writing his profession. While being a gifted and commonly praised creator of stage plays, he has more recently also been acclaimed for his stunning novels, mixing a light weight and swift style of storytelling with a precise and uncompromising account of the Western European life style, its moral burdens, its fragility and contingency. In Ruse he will present together with its Bulgarian translator Vladimira Valkova his book “Heart of Sand” and a short passage of his most recent novel “A Nobody”. According to Neue Luzerner Zeitung in the first book “Goetsch suceeds in combining a topical political theme (refugees) with the individual story of his protagonist (UN observer) – grippingly and with intelligence.”

 15^th October, 16:00, Canetti House

Reading with Carolina Schutti – Owls fly silently

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Carolina Schutti (1976) is an Austrian writer of novels and radio plays, known for her detailed, analytical style of writing. She studied German philology, English and American Studies and obtained her PhD on the work of the Ruse-born Nobel Prize-winning writer Elias Canetti. Already during her studies engaged in the literary society of Innsbruck – her home town, she later also served as its president for four years. Her two books earned her national as well as international reputation and awards. Most recently she received the European Union Prize for Literature in 2015 for her book „Once I must have trodden soft grass“. Schutti is currently working as a freelance writer. We are looking forward to a presentation of two of her recent prose texts followed by a discussion with the audience.

17:30, Canetti House

Lecture with Eleni Kurmandzi -“Josef Eliya: A Jewish poet and intellectual”

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Eleni Kurmandzi is professor at the Department of Medieval and Modern Greek Philology in the School of Philosophy, University of Ioannina where she has established the teaching of Josef Eliya’s poetry. She wrote her dissertation about “The spiritual movement in Ioannina from the end of the 18th century until the first decades of the 19th century”. Her research on the History and the Culture of the Israeli Community of Ioannina started in 1992, on the occasion of the organization of the Scientific Conference for the writer Dimitris Chatzis “The end of our small city”.  Prof. Kurmandzi has published widely and is an author of several books. Her lecture at the Festival in Ruse will share her expertise about the Jewish poet and intellectual Josef Eliya.

16^th October, 11:00, Canetti House

Penka Angelova – The Hidden Thoughts of Elias Canetti

Moderator: Prof. Ana Dimova

The most intimate and vigilant thoughts of a writer are often kept track of in so-called “notes” and disclosed to the public until the artist has passed away. This is also the case with Nobel Prize laureat Elias Canetti, who was born and raised in Ruse. With her translation of the second volume of Canettis “Notes”, Penka Angelova, President of Canetti Society, provides the Bulgarian reader with an insight in the way the writer worked and thought. After reading selected passages of the “Notes” Penka Angelova will be available for discussion with the audience.

16:00, Canetti House

Screening of the documentary movie Balkan Melodie and a discussion with the director Stefan Schwietert

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

The film-maker Stefan Schwietert has been acclaimed for using a unique technique of intense description for his remarkable documentary movies and film portraits. Particularly his music films “Accordion Tribe” and “El Accordeon del Diablo” are characterized by a gentle and patient encounter of the protagonists, followed by a close up on their way of living and making music. His most recent documentary “Balkan Melodie” tells the story of Marcel Cellier who traveled to Eastern Europe, where he collected and documented sounds that were up until then unknown in the west. In his journey he discovered the two world music phenomena Georghe Zamfir and Ensemble Trakia. Stefan Schwietert will be present at the screening and available for a discussion with the audience

The event is sponsored by the Border Crossers program of the Robert Bosch Foundation.

18:00, Canetti House

Presentation of the book ZajeźdZiMy Kobyłę historii by Karol Modzelewski

Moderator: Iva Shishkova, PhD

Karol Modzelewski is a Polish historian, writer and politician. He opposed the Polish United Workers Party in 1964, for which he was imprisoned. He took part in the Polish 1968 political crisis, and for his activities he was again sent to prison for three and a half years. During the 1980 strikes he came up with the name of ‘Solidarity’. He was one of the Solidarity press contacts, and a member of the Solidarity region in Silesia. From 1989 to 1991 he was a member of the Polish Senat (Solidarity Citizens’ Committee). He is the laureate of the most prestigious literature award in Poland – Nike 2014 for his autobiographical book, which will be presented at the Festival by its translator in Bulgarian – prof. Margreta Grigorova.

19:00, Canetti House

Reading with Petr Stančík

Moderator: Prof. Penka Angelova

Petr Stančík born 9 June 1968 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou is a Czech author, poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist and copywriter. The first publicly published text of the author was the essay Smrt živá, which appeared in 1990 in the magazine Iniciály. Up until the end of 2006 he usually published under the pseudonym Odillo Stradický ze Strdic. Winner of the Magnesia Litera (2015) for his book Mlýn na mumie (Mummy Mill). This is a work of his where again he uses a historical theme. This time the hero is Stančík’s Superintendent Durman, a cross between Casanova and Nick Carter, who is investigating the crime spree of the first serial killer in the history of the Czech lands. “Although his latest book goes right back to the year 1866, it is a similarly colourful mix of historical characters, events, metaphors and references. It isn’t all that important who the murderer is. Stančík has written a superb novel. At the same time, his imagination is grounded by an encyclopaedic knowledge of history. The book thus has a dual potential: to find itself among the works nominated for literary prizes, and to become a bestseller.” (Klára Kubíčková in MFDnes)

8:30, Canetti House

Nettles fairytales – Vocal performance by Vaiana O‘ Tasheva (GO‘TOUCH‘T, The elephant of the princess)

The speech is built of words, the music gives them wings. The young artist will close the festival with her One man show, experimenting live with words and voice, using only a microphone and vocal effects.