18 MAY, MONDAY

Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia, 13, Machabeli str.

12.00Press conference of the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature –

participants: organizers, sponsors, partners

18.00Opening of the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature

18:30Philip Besson (France) - meeting with the public /book presentation “DE LÀ, ON

VOIT LA MER”

Discussion language: French with Georgian translation

20.00Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus) talks with Anna Kordzaia-Samadashvili

 Book presentation “Voices Chernobyl”

Discussion language: Russian

19 MAY, TUESDAY

15.00Philip Besson meets Tbilisi State University students

Venue: Tbilisi State University, bulding 5, Auditorium 309, (36, Chavchavadze av.)

18.00Raoul Schrott (Austria) - discussion: Hesiod “Theogony”, Homer ‘s “Iliad”,

ancient texts, their sources and background

Moderation by Lasha Bakradze

Discussion language: German with Georgian translation

Venue: Literature Museum (8, Chanturia str.)

18:00  Claudio Pozzani (Italy) meets the students of Dante Alighieri Society

Discussion language: Italian

Venue : Dante Alighieri Society, Tbilisi Committee (6, Kalistrate Kutateladze str.)

18.00Vera Pavlova (U.S.) – poetry evening

Venue: Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni str.)

19.00Mikolaj Lozinski (Poland) meeting with the public, Q & A

            Moderation by Magda Novakovska

Discussion language: Polish with Georgian translation

Venue: Europe House Tbilisi (1, Freedom Square)

19.00Sarah Bower (UK), Anthea Nicholson (UK) moderation by Davit Gabunia

Discussion language: English with Georgian translation

Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia (13. Machabeli str. )

20:30 Caronlyn Forche (U.S.), Kimberly Johnson (U.S), Paata Shamugia (Georgia)

            Poetry evening

            Language: English, Georgian

            Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabelis str.)

20 MAY, WEDNESDAY

11:00  Anthea Nicholon (UK) meets the students of British Council

            Language: English

            Venue: British Council Tbilisi (34, Rustaveli avenue)

15.00  Sarah Bower (UK) meets students of Free University

Workshop on creative writing

Discussion language: English

Venue: Free University (240, David Aghmashenebely Alley)

18.00Violet Grigoryan (Armenia), Giunel Mevlud (Azerbaijan), Eka Kevanishvili

(Georgia) – poetry evening

Language: Armenian, Azeribaijani with Georgian translation

Venue: Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni str.)

18:00 Raoul Schrott (Austria) – Lyric and Prose, meeting with the public

            Discussion language: German

Venue: Goethe Institute Tbilisi (16, Zandukeli str.)

19.00  Photo exhibition “Ukrainian Night” with photographer Miron Zownir and author

of the book Kateryna Mishchenko

Serhiy Zhadan (Ukraine) talks about events in Ukraine

Moderation by Lasha Bakradze

Discussion language: Russian with Georgian translation

Venue: Europe House Tbilisi (1, Freedom Square)

19.00   Claudio Pozzani (Italy) – poetry reading, meeting with the public

  Presentation of the translation of his book “March of Shadow”

  Presentation of “Anthology of modern Georgian poetry” in Italian translation.  Translator: Nunu Geladze

  Language: Italian with Georgian translation

  Venue: Writers House of Georgia (13, Machabeli str.)

20.30  Poetry of Lithuanian poets

21 MAY, THURSDAY

14.30  Josip Novakovich (Croatia/Canada) meets students  of the University of

Georgia. Moderation by David Dephy

            Session language: English with Georgian translation

Venue: Georgian University, auditorium 519 (77, M. Kostava str.)

18:00   Presentation of U.S. Embassy Book translation program

              “Diogene” and “Karchkhadze” publishing houses

             Language: English with Georgian translation

            Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli str)

19:00  Panel discussion: “Poetry as  a form of marginal literature today”

 Claudio Pozzani (Italy), Kimberly Johnson (U.S), Violet Grigorian (Armenia)

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

Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia

20.30Vera Pavlova (U.S.), Serhiy Zhadan (Ukraine) and Zviad Ratiani

(Georgia)  - poetry evening

Language: Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian

22 MAY, FRIDAY

14.30Lucy Tapahonso (U.S.) meets the students of the American Academy in

Tbilisi

Discussion language: English

Venue: American Academy in Tbilisi (Lisis Tba (Lake), 01/014)

18:00  Rasul Yunan (Iran) meeting with the public

Moderation by Giorgi Lobjanidze

             Discussion language: Persian with Georgian translation

            Venue: Caucasian House (20, Galaktioni str.)

18.00   Panel discussion: “Writer and Citizen – civil responsibility of the author”  

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.)

20.00   Kimberly Johnson (U.S.), Carolyn Forche (U.S.) and Zviad Ratiani (Georgia)

  In Memoriam Mark Strand

  Language: English/Georgian

  Venue: Writers’ House of Georgia (13, Machabeli str.)

21.00  Final poetry night with participation of all poets

23 MAY, SATURDAY

13:00   Childrens’ session with Vaso Guleuri and Davit Gabunia (Georgia), readings of Sven Nordkvist’s picture books “Findus and Petsson”

14:00  Workshop for students – how to write a play with Lasha Bugadze (Georgia)