June 25 | 8:00 pm Poetry against the War
June 25, 2023
April 5th | Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
April 5, 2024
LT_24_1_SPRING_POST_2

April 4th 2024

Toplocentrala Centre for Contemporary Arts

Bar Stage

With the very first event in 2024, the Reading Sofia Foundation celebrates its growth. This year, the organization behind Literary Walks, Hidden Letters, and Literary Talks turns ten years old. It is under the sign of this anniversary that the third annual edition of Literary Talks will begin, the theme of which will be 'Growing Up'. The team of Reading Sofia has chosen this focus as the thematic core of all the events of the spring program. Literary Talks will start with the birthday of the Reading Sofia Foundation. And since every initiative of the Foundation is memorable and distinctive, this evening will keep the tradition and will not be limited to an opening party.

Free entrance

Literary Talks Spring 2024 is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sofia Municipality, Culture Programme. Goran Vojnović's visit is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Sofia, Slovenian Book Agency and Beletrina.

Literary Talks is organized by the Reading Sofia Foundation. They are held with the partnership of the National Gallery: Sofia Arsenal - Museum of Contemporary Art), and the ICU Publishing House.

6:00 p.m. - Opening
Welcome Drink and an opening of a festive evening which promises fun and purposeful networking.
6:30 p.m. - Discussion 'The Difficulties of Growth'
The panel will be moderated by the journalist, philosopher, cultural anthropologist and lecturer Nikolay Kolev. The participants are Silviya Choleva, Todora Radeva, Dimitar Stoyanovich, Elena Alexieva.
A meditative-therapeutic discussion about what we wanted to do but didn't. In the spirit of Agamben's inquiry, "What is the creative act?" panelists will recount their evolution as artists through two important connections - between creativity and resistance, and between creativity and potentiality. They will share their personal rebellion and succumbing to external pressures to create, the terror of the expectation to always be present and creative, and the compulsion to grow even through the mistakes they make. And most importantly, which of all the things you can do have you decided NOT to do and why?
8:30 p.m. - Reading Sofia: a special selection of voices and music
The special selection of voices and artworks of Bulgarian authors and music related to the themes and events of Reading Sofia Foundation over the years will be made and presented by Svetoslav Todorov, who is a well-known writer, journalist, DJ and promoter.