Vilenica International Literary Festival

The 23rd Vilenica International Literary Festival is a gathering of poets, prose writers, dramatists and essayists. Between 3 and 7 September 2008 the festival features numerous literary and cultural events – round-table discussions, literary readings, a book fair, symposia, presentations of contemporary literatures and literary publications –,  it will host more than 60 authors, academics, editors, publishers, and cultural managers from Central Europe and other countries.

The climax of the event is the presentation of the Vilenica International Literary Prize to a Central European author for outstanding achievements in the field of literature and essay writing.

The event is organised by the Slovene Writers’ Association and the Vilenica Cultural Society and takes place annually in Lipica and at other venues in Slovenia.

The Vilenica jury, advised by the jury consultants, selects authors from around Europe and beyond. At one of the several literary readings participants read their work, while the Vilenica Almanac features extracts of their writing in the original as well as in the Slovene and English translation. The theoretical part of the festival provides many opportunities for in-depth debates, while social events add to a relaxed atmosphere for socializing and meeting.

On the 40th anniversary of a watershed treatise in literary theory, Death of the Author by literary critic Roland Barthes, the theoretical part of the 23rd Vilenica programme raises the question of the author as a literary and sociological category. This year's Vilenica key theme dictates the festival's motto as well: "Who Is Writing?"

For more information please see http://www.vilenica.si/ENG/vilenica_2008_en.html