For one night only Europe comes together to celebrate the brightest talents in modern European literature. In a unique Europe-wide event the British Library in London is uniting writers from six capitals of both East and West 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall to talk about life and literature in the new Europe.

Tuesday 12 May 2009, 6.30 pm
British Library, Conference Centre
96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
www.bl.uk, Box office: (0)1937 546546

European Literature Night in London is one of many events, which take place simultaneously across European capitals on the 13th of May to celebrate European literature in a genuine trans-European event. Here, writers from the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Hungary, Poland and Romania, introduced by their patrons, read their books and engage in a debate. A book signing session will follow the discussion.

Organized in partnership with EUNIC London | working together for the promotion of European arts & culture | www.eunic-london.org
The events marks the Czech Republic’s Presidency of the Council of Europe | www.eu2009.cz
Supported by The European Commission Representation in the UK | ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom

Rosie Goldsmith – Chair a journalist specializing in arts and international affairs who spent 20 years at the BBC reporting events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the evolutions in eastern Europe as well as presenting BBC radio programmes such as Front Row, Open Book, A World In Your Ear and Crossing Continents.

Czech Republic Irena Murray-Zantovska introduces Petra Hulova Petra Hulova, one of the youngest stars of the Czech literary world, has won many awards starting with the Magnesia Litera Award 2003 for her debut novel In Memory of My Grandmother and wrote novels Through a Frosted Glass (2004), Circus Les Memoires (2005), Plastic Three Room Apartment (2006) and Station Taiga (2008).

Dr Irena Murray-Zantovska is an architectural historian and curator. In 2004, she was appointed Sir Banister Fletcher Director of the British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects. Book: All that Belongs to Me, transl. Alex Zucker, Northwestern University Press, autumn 2009.

France Paul Fournel introduces Gilles Petel Gilles Pétel is the author of four novels: Le Métier dans le sang; Le Mur de Broadway: Le Recensement and La Déposition. A graduate in Philosophy, Gilles Pétel has taught for many years in the Parisian region as well as abroad, particularly in Turkey and Germany, which provide the background for two of his novels.

Paul Fournel, a writer and former publisher, is Attaché for books at the French Embassy and has published thirty books: novels, short stories, poetry and plays Book: La Deposition, Stock, Paris 2002.

Hungary Jessica Duchen introduces Tibor Fischer Born to Hungarian parents, Tibor Fischer was educated at Cambridge and worked as a journalist. He was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his first novel, Under the Frog, which won a Betty Trask Award, and was nominated as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. Subsequent works include The Thought Gang, The Collector Collector, Don’t Read this Book if You’re Stupid and Voyage to the End of the Room.

Jessica Duchen is an author of three novels; Hungarian Dances, Rites of Spring and Alicia’s Gift) as well as a music journalist and the author of two biographies and three stage works. Book: Good to be God, Alma Books, 2008.

Italy Enrico Franceschini introduces Simonetta Agnello Hornby Simonetta Agnello Hornby has lived in London since 1972. She works as a solicitor specializing in children’s cases and is part-time chairman of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal. Her first novel, The Almond Picker (2002) won four European book prizes and was followed by novels The Marchesa, Boccamurata and Vento scomposto.

Enrico Franceschini has been a foreign correspondent for the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica and is also the author of several fiction and non-fiction books. Book: The Almond Picker, transl. Alaistar McEwen, Penguin Book, 2005.

Poland Jack Lohman introduces Pawel Huelle Pawel Huelle is a novelist who has worked for the Solidarity press office, as university lecturer, journalist, director of the Gdansk Polish Television Center and, most recently, as a columnist for Gazeta Wyborcza. His first novel Who Was David Weiser was classed by critics as "the book of the decade," "a masterpiece" and "a literary triumph" and following books were shortlisted for The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2006 (Mercedes Benz) and 2008 (Castorp).

Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London, worked previously as the Chief Executive Officer of Iziko Museums of Cape Town. Book: The Last Supper, transl. by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Serpent’s Tail 2008.

Romania Anamaria Marinca introduces Mircea Cartarescu Poet, novelist and literary critic Mircea Cartarescu is an associate professor of the University of Bucharest. He has published over 20 books translated into 15 languages, which won all the most prestigeous Romanian literary prizes, the Acerbi prize in Italy and in 1992, he was nominated for the French Médicis prize. His most important works are: Headlights, Shop Windows, Photographs, Love Poems, Everything, Love, Nostalgia, The Levant, Dazzling Light, Romanian Postmodernism and The Encyclopaedia of Dragons.

Anamaria Marinca is an actress who won a BAFTA Best Actress award in 2005 for her performance in the TV mini-series Sex Traffic by David Yates but became famous as Otilia, the female lead in Cristian Mungiu´s Golden Palm-winning drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Book: Why We Love Women, Humanitas, Bucharest, 2004.