On 23 July, the largest cross-border literary festival in Central Europe – the Month of Author Readings (MAR) in Lviv – kicked off. The festival organisers announced this on their Facebook page.
The tenth anniversary MAR was opened with a meeting with Ukrainian writer Halyna Kruk, moderated by Volodymyr Beglov. Halyna shared her new poems and favourite works, spoke about why the theme of war often appeared in her earlier texts, how poetry is returning to its basic functions, and the importance of cultural diplomacy abroad.
The next conversation featured Czech political and literary figures David Smolák and Zdeněk Papoušek. The meeting was moderated by Yevheniya Nesterovych.
The authors shared their texts with the Ukrainian audience and discussed what it means for a Czech writer to enter politics, the influence of literary figures on the political life of the country, and the connection between democracy and culture.
The festival will take place from 23 to 26 July.