The 31st Vilenica International Literary Festival, organised by the Slovene Writers’ Association and the Vilenica Cultural Association from Sežana, took place on 6-11 September 2016, in various locations (Ljubljana, Sežana, Lipica, Maribor, Celje, Koper, Trboljve, Štanjel, Bilje, Lokev, Trieste, and the Vilenica Cave). The Festival featured numerous literary and cultural events such as roundtable discussions, readings, a presentation of contemporary literature and symposia. Since its origins, the Festival has focused on gathering writers, mainly but not only, from Central European countries and promoting dialogue in an area with a common history but cultural diversity.
Recognised authors of Slovenian and Estonian contemporary literature, Aleš Berger and Ülar Ploom, were the guests of the Vilenica Pre-Opening Event in Trieste, held on 6 September at the CEI HQ. The event was organised by the Slovene Writers’ Association in cooperation with the CEI and Group 85 – Skupina 85.
On the occasion of the official opening of the Festival, on 7 September, CEI Deputy Secretary General, Erik Csernovitz bestowed the CEI Fellowship for Writers in Residence for 2016 upon Ms. Tanja Bakić from Montenegro.
The Fellowship is granted with the aim to encourage cross-border cooperation and promotion in the field of literature. It is addressed to young writers from non-EU CEI Member States and is intended to be used for a three-month residence permit in any CEI Member State of the candidate’s choice to work on the submitted project.
On 8 September, the CEI Roundtable “Literature and Ethics”, supported by the CEI Cooperation Fund, was held in Lipica with the participation of the French writer and poet Alexandre Bergamini, the Hungarian poet, fiction writer and essayist Gábor Schein and the Slovenian author Suzana Tratnik, writer, translator, columnist and activist. The discussion was moderated by Carlos Pascual (Mexico/Slovenia).
CEI DSG Erik Csernovitz with Fellowship’s recipient Tanja Bakić (ph. T. Povodnik)
Vilenica Pre-opening Event at CEI HQ
Recognised authors of Slovenian and Estonian contemporary literature, Aleš Berger and Ülar Ploom, were the guests of the Vilenica Pre-Opening Event in Trieste, held on 6 September at the CEI HQ. The event was organised by the Slovene Writers’ Association in cooperation with the CEI and Group 85 – Skupina 85.
On the occasion of the official opening of the Festival, on 7 September, CEI Deputy Secretary General, Erik Csernovitz bestowed the CEI Fellowship for Writers in Residence for 2016 upon Ms. Tanja Bakić from Montenegro.
The Fellowship is granted with the aim to encourage cross-border cooperation and promotion in the field of literature. It is addressed to young writers from non-EU CEI Member States and is intended to be used for a three-month residence permit in any CEI Member State of the candidate’s choice to work on the submitted project.
On 8 September, the CEI Roundtable “Literature and Ethics”, supported by the CEI Cooperation Fund, was held in Lipica with the participation of the French writer and poet Alexandre Bergamini, the Hungarian poet, fiction writer and essayist Gábor Schein and the Slovenian author Suzana Tratnik, writer, translator, columnist and activist. The discussion was moderated by Carlos Pascual (Mexico/Slovenia).
- The publication including the essays of the Round Table’s participants is available here.
- More information available here
CEI DSG Erik Csernovitz with Fellowship’s recipient Tanja Bakić (ph. T. Povodnik)
Vilenica Pre-opening Event at CEI HQ