The world premiere of Petr Zelenka’s new play at the PesText Festival

The PesText International Literary and Cultural Festival is being organized for the seventh time by MISZJE (Hungarian Literary Authors’ Collecting Society) with the support of the Hungarian Culture Foundation and the cooperation of the Petőfi Cultural Agency. Visitors can enjoy literary discussions, readings, translation workshops, and exhibitions from May 7 to 10.

Several world-renowned authors will visit Három Holló Coffeehouse and the MNMKK Petőfi Literary Museum for the series of events. The festival's featured guests will include Christoph Ransmayr, one of the greatest figures in contemporary German-language literature; internationally renowned Czech playwright Petr Zelenka; Swedish author and latest writer of the Millennium crime series Karin Smirnoff; and the Polish illustrator Joanna Concejo.

The festival will open with a special exhibition at the MNMKK Petőfi Literary Museum (MNMKK PIM), where visitors can view illustrations by Polish artist Joanna Concejo from May 7 to 31. Further programs await visitors at Három Holló from May 8 to 10.

The festival's featured guests include Christoph Ransmayr (Atlas of an Anxious Man, Cox, The Flying Mountain), one of the most important figures in contemporary German-language literature, and Czech playwright Petr Zelenka, several of whose works have been performed in international theatres (Tales of Ordinary Madness, Beckham – England's Biggest Sex Scandal, Shot). Those interested can also meet Swedish author Karin Smirnoff, whose genre-spanning work is now well known to international audiences through the Jana Kippo trilogy, and who is also the author of the seventh instalment of Stieg Larsson's world-famous Millennium crime series, The Girl in the Eagle's Talons.

PesText has always invited the arts closest to literature into the spotlight, so this year's program will also feature a theatrical production, an exclusive first staged reading of Fifty. Petr Zelenka's drama follows the encounters and wanderings of David, a divorced, somewhat disillusioned architect in his fifties, as he drifts through life. The audience will hear the play for the first time in a staged reading directed by László Keszég and excellently translated into Hungarian by Bori Csoma, performed by third-year acting students from the MATE Rippl-Rónai Art Institute.

"You have to slow down to read, that's our belief and our experience. As a literary festival, we strive to create a reader-friendly environment: instead of an event overload, we leave time for encounters with authors and readers, for building professional partnerships, for conversations, for kind gestures. That's why we dedicate an entire evening to each of our authors, such as Joanna Concejo, Christoph Ransmayr, and Petr Zelenka," said Betti Varga, one of the main organizers of PesText.

Balázs Keresztes, head of foreign affairs programs at the Petőfi Cultural Agency, emphasized that PesText has been one of the country's most prestigious and popular literary events for almost a decade. "PesText is an unmissable event for anyone interested in trends in world literature, whether popular or highbrow. This series of events is a celebration of world literature, where, in addition to the authors' work, we also celebrate the work of the mediators of world literature, including translators, publishers, interpreters and experts of individual cultures," he added.

Other guests at the festival include the unique Croatian author Olja Savičević Ivančević (This Is How the Cowboys Leave), the Franco-Swiss writer Elisa Shua Dusapin, known for her taut yet sensitive prose (Winter in Sokcho, The Pachinko Parlour); David Almond, an exciting representative of contemporary literature for children and young adults; and Clare Leslie Hall, author of the historical bestseller Broken Country.

They will be joined in conversation by renowned Hungarian writers, journalists and cultural figures: László Földényi, István Ladányi, Zsolt Pacskovszky, Bence Patat, Emese Révész, Orsolya Ruff, and Henrietta Szalay.

"A good translation is more than a linguistic transcription. The literary translator is an invisible bridge between cultures, opening up new worlds," said literary translator Bence Patat. At the spring PesText festival, Swedish author Karin Smirnoff will be asked about the Nordic noir genre, experimental texts, family traumas, and why Scandinavian culture and society are so fascinating. "Northern literature is often characterized by an unadorned style, which doesn’t mean a lack of psychological depth – quite the contrary. Smirnoff skilfully combines grim and dark themes with a black humour that subtly eases the tension produced by the dramas and traumas," added Bence Patat.
 

As usual, the panel discussions won’t be held in Hungarian, but the organizers will provide interpretation for the Hungarian audience. The authors' books will be available for purchase at the venue, and there will also be an opportunity for book signings. Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/2cVCahIdd

All PesText events are free of charge, but some require registration. Please follow our online platforms for updates:

https://www.facebook.com/pestext.festival/events/

https://pestextfestival.hu/programok/

The PesText festival is organized by the Hungarian Literary Authors’ Collecting Society (MISZJE), with the support of the Hungarian Foundation for Culture and in cooperation with the Petőfi Cultural Agency.

Main Sponsor: Hungarian Foundation for Culture

Key Supporters: NKA, MNMKK Petőfi Literary Museum