Javier Cercas

Invitado de Honor

Javier Cercas is a Lecturer in Spanish Literature at the University of Girona, an honorary fellow of the University of Oxford and honorary lecturer at Diego Portales University in Chile. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages. His novels include The Motive, The Tenant, El vientre de la ballena (The Belly of the Whale), Soldiers of Salamis (The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Grinzane-Cavour Prize, Chilean Critics Prize, City of Barcelona Prize, Llibreter Prize, Salambó Prize, among others), The Speed of Light (Athens Prize for Literature, Archbishop Juan de San Clemente Prize, Fernando Lara Prize, ex aequo), The Anatomy of a Moment (National Narrative Prize, Terenci Moix International Prize, Mondello Città di Palermo Prize, Prix Jean Monnet, Radovan Galonja Prize), Outlaws (Prix Méditerranée Étranger, Correntes d’Escritas Prize, Mandarache Prize), The Impostor (Prix du Livre Européen, Isola d’Elba International Prize, Ceppo di Pistoia International Prize, Archbishop Juan de San Clemente Prize, Taofen Prize for Best Foreign Novel Published in China), Lord of All the Dead (Prix Malraux), Even the Darkest Night: Terra Alta I (Planeta Prize and Dagger Prize), Independence (Terra Alta II) and El castillo de Barbazul (Terra Alta III) (Bluebeard’s Castle [Terra Alta III]) (NordSud International Prize). He has also published several miscellaneous works – Una buena temporada (A Good Season), Relatos reales (Real Tales), La verdad de Agamenón (The Truth of Agamemnon), Formas de ocultarse (Ways of Hiding), No callar (Not Keeping Silent) and La aventura de escribir (The Adventure of Writing), as well as essays such as La obra literaria de Gonzalo Suárez (The Literary Work of Gonzalo Suárez) and El punto ciego (The Blind Spot).

Other activities involving the participant:

Talk
The privilege of turning off the light

Natalka Sniadanko

(Ukraine, 1973)

She is a writer, translator and cultural journalist born in Lviv, Ukraine. Since 2001, she has published nine books, including seven novels translated into eleven languages. Her best-known work includes The Passion Collection and Frau Müller Does not Wish To Pay More. With an ironic and feminist writing voice, Sniadanko explores themes of identity, freedom and the female experience in Eastern Europe. She has been awarded the Joseph Conrad Prize and the Translation Prize of the Austrian Ministry of Education, Art and Culture for her version of The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek. She was also a finalist for the Angelus Literary Award. Her career combines literary work with social criticism, and active participation in the European cultural dialogue.

Other activities involving the participant:

Experience, narrative, and resilience
Echoes of FIL