After the previous editions hosted and organized by the House of Literature in Oslo and the Free Word Centre in London, this year, the Meeting of European Literature Houses will take place in Romania, at Culture Port Cetate, on the banks of the Danube, between 10 – 13 May, and will be hosted by the Foundation for Poetry ‘Mircea Dinescu’.
The aim of the Meeting is to strengthen the ties between European Literature Houses and other related cultural organizations, and to set the foundations for future cooperation and common projects.
Over twenty cultural managers and organizations from fifteen European countries have announced their participation. The agenda of this year’s Meeting will include individual presentations of recent activity and ongoing projects from all participant organizations, reviews of the previous meetings in Oslo and London, panel discussions on the evolution of European Literature Houses and past attempts to network (e.g. the HALMA Network), debates on the relationship between literary creation and organizational frames, between literature and politics, literature and environmental issues, etc, meetings with writers, film screenings, book presentations, and visits to local sites.
Rediscovered by the writer and journalist Mircea Dinescu and rebuilt by his Poetry Foundation on the site of an abandoned nineteenth century agricultural port, the Culture Port Cetate is uniquely positioned, between forests and the river Danube, to offer a remote, quiet and secluded place, beneficial both for artists in search of creative solitude and for those who, having gathered at the river, feel inclined to concentrate on the topics they share.
Márton Méhes will present the activities of Danube Cultural Cluster, especially the project Donau Lounge. For the Danube Cultural Cluster this meeting in Cetate is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the future plans of a joint artist in residency programme for the Danube region.
Photo: Cultural Port of Cetate, Romania by Silvana Frinculescu
