Night of Literature

“The Night of Literature is an initiative of the Czech Centres around the world and aims to promote contemporary European poetry and prose through unconventional readings of excerpts from translated books in atypical and unexpected places. It has been held in Bulgaria since 2012. This specific format takes place on one fixed day of the year, when readings of books written by authors in different countries in Europe are held simultaneously and at different locations (called “readers’ nests”) in the same city for three and a half hours.

Each edition of the Night of Literature is a kind of a snapshot of contemporary trends in European literature, showcasing artistic and cultural diversity, highlighting the importance of translation from and into so-called “small languages”.
The books read each year are diverse and selected by the embassies and cultural institutes of European countries. The readers are celebrities, actors, writers, journalists, translators, musicians, etc., and the venues in which they are read are usually spaces atypical of literature. This exclusive event engages the audience in a highly specific literary and urban experience, expanding the collective reading experience.