The International Literary Forum ends with a grand assembly of the ASPIR Creative Council
Those in attendance discussed last year’s highlights, among which the top one, hands down, was the first International Literary Forum, ASPIR, held from the 5th to 8th of December on the premises of the non/fictio№26 intellectual book fair. Bringing together authors and publishing industry professionals from 35 different countries, the forum featured 16 roundtables brainstorming the trend-setting phenomena and pressing issues of modern literary life.
“It was a freewheeling, unbiased dialogue about many aspects of professional literary life, we shared thoughts and nuggets of experience. I think it was a great ‘above barriers’ discussion”, said ASPIR head, writer Sergey Shargunov.
The forum participants were unanimous in saying they hoped the convention would become a regular event and continue well into the future.
“We teach workshops for translators, and they just can’t wait to meet Russian authors”, said Rafael Guzman Tirado, professor of the University of Granada, Spain.
“We’ve got to stay in touch, translating each other from all languages”, echoed Azerbaijani author Abuzar Bagirov.
The forum’s closing was preceded by a vibrant literary/musical show titled The Ascent at the Gostiny Dvor amphitheater, celebrating wartime literature with Russia’s Lieutenant Prose Year drawing to a close. Songs, poetry and prose by battle-front authors were performed by actors of the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop.Theater. Polina Agureyeva, a Merited Artist of Russia, co-starred in the show.
“Face to face human contact, lively togetherness, mingling in an informal setting... It’s all part of the literary process, and not the least part”, Shargunov said, wrapping up the forum. “Writers who come from diverse cultural backgrounds and traditions should certainly get together as often as they can. It’s important to share creative energies and ideas. At least to some extent, I hope this forum was a success as a meeting of the hearts and minds of very different people united by their love of books”.
“It was a freewheeling, unbiased dialogue about many aspects of professional literary life, we shared thoughts and nuggets of experience. I think it was a great ‘above barriers’ discussion”, said ASPIR head, writer Sergey Shargunov.
The forum participants were unanimous in saying they hoped the convention would become a regular event and continue well into the future.
“We teach workshops for translators, and they just can’t wait to meet Russian authors”, said Rafael Guzman Tirado, professor of the University of Granada, Spain.
“We’ve got to stay in touch, translating each other from all languages”, echoed Azerbaijani author Abuzar Bagirov.
The forum’s closing was preceded by a vibrant literary/musical show titled The Ascent at the Gostiny Dvor amphitheater, celebrating wartime literature with Russia’s Lieutenant Prose Year drawing to a close. Songs, poetry and prose by battle-front authors were performed by actors of the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop.Theater. Polina Agureyeva, a Merited Artist of Russia, co-starred in the show.
“Face to face human contact, lively togetherness, mingling in an informal setting... It’s all part of the literary process, and not the least part”, Shargunov said, wrapping up the forum. “Writers who come from diverse cultural backgrounds and traditions should certainly get together as often as they can. It’s important to share creative energies and ideas. At least to some extent, I hope this forum was a success as a meeting of the hearts and minds of very different people united by their love of books”.