24 February 2021
Georgia’s Fantastic Tavern – Europe Meets Asia
Writers' House of Georgia presents an online festival of Georgian writers with food and song for the English-speaking world - Georgia's Fantastic Tavern: Europe Meets Asia. The Artistic Director is the British critic and cultural journalist Maya Jaggi. Festival partners are The British Library and the American online magazine Words Without Borders.
 
The literary festival on 25-28 February 2021 marks the centenary of the Soviet invasion of Georgia and the coming 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence. It is inspired by the café culture of the first democratic republic of 1918-21.
 
In the 11 events planned during the festival, writers will talk about freedom and independence, satire and humor, women's art, songwriting, modern translation, Tbilisi, masculinity, polyphony and jazz.
 
For more information about the festival, visit the link: https://georgiasfantastictavern.com



Full Program:
 
Thursday 25 February
In association with The British Library
 
18.00 – 19.10
the Blue Horn Poets to the Red Century
Nino Haratischvili
in conversation with Maya Jaggi
 
The event begins with a special welcome song in Georgian Katie Melua to launch the festival.
Tickets £5 (includes Liberty’s Feast and Hangover with Aka Morchiladze and Dato Turashvili).
Booking information: https://www.bl.uk/.../-the-blue-horn-poets-to-the-red...
 
 
19.10 – 20.40
Liberty’s Feast and Hangover
Aka Morchiladze and Dato Turashvili
in conversation with Maya Jaggi
 
 
Friday 26 February
TAVERN ENCOUNTERS
 
18.00 – 18.30
Birth of a Songwriter
Katie Melua
in conversation with Maya Jaggi
 
18.30 – 19:30
Levity and the Limits of Satire in the New Georgia
Beka Adamashvili and Lasha Bugadze
in conversation with Claire Armitstead
 
 
 
Saturday 27 February
In association with The British Library
 
14.00 – 14.45
In the Tbilisi Cafe Kitchen
Luka Nachkebia of MasterChef Georgia
 
 
15.15 – 16.35
Medea’s Daughters: Georgia’s pioneering women in the arts
Nana Ekvtimishvili and Tamta Melashvili
in conversation with Maya Jaggi
 
17.00 – 18.15
Mysteries of the Russian Empire
Boris Akunin
in conversation with Boyd Tonkin
 
Tickets £5 (includes all Saturday 27 February events).
Booking information: https://www.bl.uk/.../mysteries-of-the-russian-empire...
 
 
 
Sunday 28 February
TAVERN ENCOUNTERS
 
14.00-14.45
The Knight in the Panther Skin to Bestseller: translating Georgia
Lyn Coffin and Tamar Japaridze
in conversation with Maureen Freely
 
14.45- 15.30
A Walk through Tbilisi
Archil Kikodze
in conversation with Wendell Steavenson
 
16.00-16.45
Strongmen and Masculinities in Today’s Georgia
Davit Gabunia
in conversation with Mark Gevisser
 
16.45- 17.30
Polyphony, Prose and all that Jazz
Zurab Karumidze
in conversation with Boyd Tonkin
 
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