European Literature Night 2017

This event will bring the spirit of European Café culture to New York City, featuring readings performed live from 15 European books.

New York audiences will move from room to room to hear literary work from prominent and up-and-coming European authors whose work allows for the exploration of parallels between European experiences and the current cultural and political climate in America. The event is modelled after its overseas counterpart, offering a European-style atmosphere where audiences can listen to readings and exchange ideas while enjoying a beer or a glass of wine.

ELN is a decade-old tradition in many European countries. The inaugural New York edition is also the first in the U.S. and will be launched on the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Treaties of Rome.

The concept of the ELN is based in this spirit of unity, and on the belief that literature is a unique and creative medium that can help strengthen the dialogue between single voices and cultures, and that it is a tool of mutual understanding which helps to break down communication barriers.

The selected books come from countries representing a diverse and varied Europe: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain. These books will be available in a book fair along with other international titles.

Program

• 7-9 pm: Simultaneous readings in seven venues throughout Bohemian National Hall
• 7-9 pm: Book Fair in the Ballroom
• 9:15 pm: Conversation with Dutch writer Marieke Nijkamp, a Dutch fiction writer whose first novel This is Where it Ends was a New York Times Young Adult Bestseller.
• Q&A and reception.