One night – many experiences: public readings of contemporary literature performed by well known personalities at attractive and unusual venues in cities across Europe.

 

European Literature Night builds on the concept of literature being a unique creative medium which embraces the voices of individuals along with the values of the society they live in. The umbrella project “European Literature Nights 2012 – 2014” aims to bring contemporary European literature to the general public in an innovative way through a series of public readings and accompanying events. Supported by a grant from the Culture Programme of the European Union, the project partners hope to deliver high level of impact to their audiences. Although it is Brno, Bucharest, Dublin, Lisbon, Vilnius, Prague and Wroclaw who are jointly co-organizing the project “ELN 2012 – 2014”, the other partner cities where Literature Night already took root are of no lesser importance for the event’s development.

partner cities
Brno
Bucharest
Dublin
Lisbon

Afonso Cruz

Born in July 1971 inFigueira da Foz, Afonso Cruz would, years later, travel all around the world, visiting more than 60 countries. Besides composing and playing songs in his band, The Soaked Lamb, he is a renowned writer and illustrator. His first book, Carne de Deus, was published in 2008. Shortly after that, he was awarded Grande Prémio de Conto Camilo Castelo Branco for the book Enciclopédia da Estória Universal. Another award was to come soon, this time for Os Livros Que Devoraram o Meu Pai, a young adult novel that won Prémio Literário Maria Rosa Colaço, in 2009. A Contradição Humana, a children’s book with text and illustrations by the author, was published in 2010 and was distinguished with the Author’s Guild Prize. In 2012, A Boneca de Kokoschka (published in 2010) brought him international recognition, winning the European Union Literature Prize. Finally, that same year, the novel Jesus Cristo Bebia Cerveja, published by Alfaguara, was considered the Book of the Year by Time Out Lisboa and the Best Book of the Year by the readers of the daily newspaper Público.

Photo: © Maria João Lima

writing

locations

readers

Prague
Vilnius
Wrocław