Focus on literature :: Baltic Meetings, 16-19 May 2007, Gotland

(2007 03 29 08:31)

After a great success of the 2005 Baltic Meetings in Kaliningrad the Baltic Writers’ Council (BWC) decided to continue the with the series of Baltic Meetings and chose Gotland to be the next meeting place.

The Ascension Day 2007 will gather writers, translators, and cultural politicians who will discus the subject of a new mutual Baltic identity. The meetings will consist of:
- seminars,
- round-table discussions,
- literary readings.

...our contemporary Europe with its horrible old history as rucksack during the journey, a quotation from P. O. Enquists novel Legionärerna (The Legionnaires), is the conference motto, phrasing its overall theme: Culture and politics after the changes in the Baltic Sea region. During the first day of the conference, delegates from the Nordic Artists’ associations will also participate, in connection with their annual Nordic Cultural Parliament session.

The second day of the meeting (May 17) will focus on the Open Forum. Its aim will be to discus in small groups topics such as
- female literature,
- the freedom of expression,
- cultural cooperation in the future,
- the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity.

On Friday (May 18) the conference’s participants will have the opportunity to visit North, South, West and East of Gotland, on the tracks of Linnaeus, Sven Delblanc, Tarkovsky and Enquist. After returning to Visby, a Long Night of Baltic Sea literature, readings, recitals etc. will take place at different venues, among others the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators.

The last day of the conference (May 19) will be devoted to the final conclusions and perspectives for the future, upcoming Baltic Meetings in St. Petersburg in 2009.

Among the participants of the conference the organisers mention: P O. Enquist, Andrey Bitov, Vladimir Tarasov, Nora Ikstena, Steinunn Sigurdardóttir and Argita Daudze.

PRACTICAL INFO:
Available downloads: Conference Programme.

Organisers: Baltic Writers’ Council, Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators

For further information contact Chairman of BWC Mr. Klaus-Jürgen Liedtke or Ms. Charlotta Bjelfvenstam.
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