New York Reads New [Graphic] Literature from Europe
The 5th edition of the New Literature from Europe series will take place in New York from November 17 to November 21.
The event is sponsored by the cultural institutions of the Czech Republic (Czech Center New York), France (The Cultural Services of the French Embassy), Germany (Goethe-Institut New York), Italy (Istituto Italiano di Cultura) and Spain (Istituto Cervantes).
This year the event will celebrate the graphic novel, well appreciated in both Europe and the United States. It is indeed considered a form of literature that embraces many styles and approaches.
Fellows of all ages are invited to participate to the event. Nowadays, in fact, critics consider the graphic novel to be attractive also for the adult public, since the range of issues it covers is wide and multifaceted, going from heroes’ stories to themes such as the Holocaust (Maus) and the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Once, instead, comics and vignettes were exclusively conceived for the youth, filling the shelves of the children sections of the main libraries.
Seven artists coming from all over Europe will present to the American public their latest and more significant works.
Jaromir Svejdik (aka Jaromir 99) and Jaroslav Rudis will represent the Czech Republic. They worked together on the publication of Alois Nebel - the most popular graphic novel of the country -, the former as the writer and the latter as the cartoonist.
David B. and Nicolas de Crecy come from France. They both recount fantasy stories but with different styles: De Crecy’ latest novel, Noctural Conspirancies, consists in a series of monochromatic drawings that better transmit to the reader the intensity of the dreams and nightmares that inspired him into writing it; Nicolas de Crecy, on the other hand, uses a softer touch in his work The Glacial Period.
Isabel Kreitz will represent Germany at the festival. She is famous all over her country, fame she earned and cultivated since the time she was awarded with the prestigious Sondermann Prize. Her most famous novel, Die Sache mit Sorge, focuses on the II World War historical period. In Ralf, instead, she describes the underground lives of subway surfers in Hamburg.
Igort comes from Italy, but he can really be considered citizen of the world. His stories have no borders, his characters live in Japan, France, and America as well. This is Baobab’s case, where the author tells the story of an orphan child in Tokyo that grows up with his grandmother. His latest album, anyway, is set in Italy. Five is the perfect number is about a mafia man that, after retiring from his criminal activities, decides to revange his son’s death.
Francesc Capdevilla Gisbert, finally, will present a surrealistic album entitled Bardin the Superreralist, translated and published in Englih in 2006. He clearly takes inspiration from Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali’.
The artists will be involved in all kinds of activities during the festival. Among them, discussions, book signing and the presentation of an exhibition of 60 panels at the French Cultural Services. The exhibition will be on display from November 19 to December 12. The great public is invited to visit it for free on weekdays, from 1 to 5 pm.
New Literature from Europe Calendar of Events:
November 17, 6 pm:
Discussion with Igort about his book 5 is the Perfect Number and exhibition of his work Baobab.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura
686 Park Avenue, New York, NY
RSVP required: 212 879 4242 ext. 375
November 19 – December 12, 9am – 5pm (weekdays):
Exhibition of works by all the authors: Graphic Novels from Europe
Cultural Services of the French Embassy
972 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
November 19, 6:30 pm:
Discussion with all the authors, moderated by David Mazzucchelli
School of Visual Arts
209 East 23 Street, New York, NY
November 20, 6:30pm:
Presentations and book signings with all the authors.
MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art)
594 Broadway, Suite 401, New York
November 21, 4pm:
Discussion with Nicolas de Crécy
Maison française / NYU
16 Washington Mews, New York, NY
November 21 –December 19, 12pm-7pm (Tuesday-Saturday):
Exhibition of the two Czech authors Alois Nebel–My Life
Prague Kolektiv
143 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY
(All events are free)
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