The highlights of the second edition of the Iași International Festival for Literature and Translation (FILIT) were announced today by the President of Iași County Council, Cristian Adomniței, the Rector of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Vasile Ișan, and the festival manager, director of the Iași Museum for Romanian Literature, Dan Lungu.
For the first time the European Commision Representation in Romania has granted its patronage to a cultural event, appreciating the European importance of FILIT.
“The first edition of FILIT had an extraordinary success, with multiple local, national and international echoes It was a true book and literature celebration, that will continue this year. We are glad to see Romania and Iași on the organiser list for european-amplitude literary events, that promote the cultural and linguistical diversity of Europe.” said Angela Filote, head of the European Comission Representantion in Romania.
The 2014 edition of FILIT will reunite over 300 international and national guests, as well as translators,cultural managers, critics and cultural journalists. The organizers officially confirmed the following participants: Herta Muller (Germany), David Lodge (United Kingdom), Sahar Delijani (Iran, currently living in Italy), Romanin Puertolas (France), Monika Peetz (Germany), Care Santos (Spain), Edward Hirsch (USA). The confirmed Romanian writers are: Radu Aldulescu, George Bălăiță, Lavinia Braniște, Mircea Cărtărescu, Magda Cârneci, Vasile Ernu, Norman Manea, Ioana Nicolaie, Marta Petreu, Andrei Ruse, Ana Mara Sandu, Simona Sora, Bogdan Suceavă, Ion Vianu, Matei Vișniec, Alexandru Vlas.
„Last year, FILIT has been the best-known cultural event that took place in Iași, its going way beyond country borders. FILIT has deservedly won its place not only in the international press, but mostly in the hearts of the one that passed our threshold. FILIT is, as far as quality is concerned, the most important event of this type, in south-eastern Europe. Through FILIT, Iași is present on the world map of culture, and, year after year, organizing this event offers Iași strong arguments in obtaining the title of European Cultural Capital in 2021.We organize the second edition this year, with the same people that have brought the success to the first edition, in collaboration with the local academic environment, the County School Board, and everyone that joined us in 2013. Taking into account the importance of the guests that confirmed their presence to this moment, I am certain that this edition will be a success”, said Cristian Adomniţei, president of Iași County Council.
British writer David Lodge is one of the most popular authors in Romania, apreciated by both critics and the large public. His acceptance to participate is important as his festivals’ public appearances were few in the last years and this is his first visit to Romania. The Rector of the University and the Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Codrin Liviu Cuțitaru, announced that Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași will award the honorary title of „Doctor Honorius Causa” to David Lodge, during FILIT.
„FILIT is the literary event with the biggest public in the country. With this occasion, Iași discovered that it has an underestimated literary public, that did not have the occasion to show its potential, FILIT showed that the local public space can be animated with high-class and european-reaching cultural events, bringing, in the same time, a numerous and diverse audience”, declared Dan Lungu.
One of the original projects of FILIT 2014 will be a series of features written by the famous journalist Viorel Ilișoi, meant to promote the local literary museums and to emphasize the value of the literary inheritance. All the stories, of genuine documentary value and carrying the unique mark of Ilișoi’s writings, will be translated into English, printed and distributed nationally and internationally.
Another original project at the second edition of FILIT is the „FILIT residencies for translators” program. The residences granted this year are:
- One FILIT residence „Memorialul Ipoteşti”, Botoşani, Mihai Eminescu commune, Ipoteşti: Fanny CHARTRES (for French language)
- Two FILIT residencies „Hotel Belvedere”, Vatra Dornei, Suceava county: Vanina BOZHIKOVA (for Bulgarian language); Alexander-John DRACE-FRANCIS (for English language)
- Three FILIT residencies „Muzeul Literaturii Române Iaşi”, Iaşi: Lora NENKOVSKA (for Bulgarian language); Joanna KORNAS-WARWAS (for Polish language); Gabriella KOSZTA (for Hungarian language).
FILIT has branded itself in the international press as the only far-reaching literary event in Romania, prestigious publications granting large coverage for the 1st edition:„Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ , „El Pais“, „Der Freitag”, „Le Monde” etc.
„FILIT was already, at its first edition, the most important literary festival in Eastern Europe and it aspires for the next year, to consolidate its transnational dimension”, wrote Ignacio Vidal-Folch în „El Pais“. In a wide article published on the November 23, 2013 edition of the prestigious German daily-paper „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ (FAZ), journalist Dirk Schümer states about the Iași International Festival for Literature and Translation (FILIT): „such an event, at this scale, tailored in an European fashion, has never existed in Romania before”.