Canadian writer of Croatian origin, Josip Novakovich talks with students of the University of Georgia. Moderation by David Dephy

Language: English with Georgian translation 
Auditorium 519

Josip Novakovich was born in 1956 in Croatia. He migrated Croatia to the United States at the age of 20, and recently to Canada at the age of 53. He has published a novel, April Fool's Day (in ten languages); a novella, Three Deaths; and story collections (Infidelities: Stories of War and Lust, Yolk, and Salvation and Other Disasters) and three collections of narrative essays as well as two books of practical criticism, including Fiction Writers Workshop. This fall Esplanade Books will publish his most recent collection of stories. His work was anthologized in Best American Poetry, the Pushcart Prize collection and O. Henry Prize Stories. He has received the Whiting Writer's Award, a Guggenheim fellowship, the Ingram Merrill Award and an American Book Award, and in 2013 he was a Man Booker International Award finalist. Novakovich has been a writing fellow of the New York Public Library and has taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Die Freie Universitaet in Berlin, Penn State and now Concordia University in Montreal.

“Diogene” and “Karchkhadze” publishing houses

             Language: English with Georgian translation

Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus), Carolyn Forche (U.S.) and Lucy     Tapahonso (U.S.A), Josip Novakovich (Croatia/Canada), Giunel Mevlud (Azerbaijan) - moderation by Levan Berdzenishvili (Georgia)

What are the challenges of a writer in the 21st century? Has the role of the writer changed with the development of technologies and the media? Has the influence of a writer on the society diminished? What place does the writer as a citizen have today and what can he/she change? These are the questions, that the participants of our discussion will try to answer.

Discussion language: English, Russian with Georgian translation

Venue: TBC Gallery (4, Marjanishvili str.)

Poetry today: off-center of literary mainstream

The development of book-market leaves less and less space for poetry today. Unlike the centuries long literary tradition, poetry has moved way out of literary mainstream. Contemporary poets discuss the “survival” strategies and their own related experiences.

Discussion language: English/Russian with Georgian translation

Language: Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian