Masatoshi Mogi, a researcher of modern Greek poetry, introduces two Nobel Prize-winning poets who represent modern Greek poetry, George Seferis and Odysseas Elitis. Naturally, Mogi says, "I will be talking about the lives and works of these two men, but this time I will focus specifically on their view of Greece as 'a whole'. This is a concept proposed and explored by these two and other members of the '1930s generation' as opposed to the Renaissance Europe's view of Greece, which valued only ancient times. It is a way of viewing each time period of Greek culture as a continuum. Therefore, early modern Greek literature works such as 'Erotocritos' and the Memoirs of General Makryannis, as well as the work of naive painter Theophilus will also be mentioned". As Mogi concludes, "I believe that this will be an opportunity to introduce Greek literary and folk culture, which is rarely presented in Japan, and also an opportunity to think about the strength of the European culture in incorporating such uniqueness and plurality".

• Show details
• Registration

Natsuki Ikezawa rediscovered Szymborska at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Her poetry is, according to the outstanding translator of Polish literature Yukio Kudo, “experienced by sad world, but light, with a sense of humour and tender”.
And one more female poet - Noriko Ibaragi. Her poetry can be described as being very similar to the poetry of Szymborska. During the lecture, both female poets and their poems commonalities will be presented and some poems will be recited by Natsuki Ikezawa himself.

• Show details
• Registration

Akutagawa Prize-winning authors Takehiro Ueda, Hiroko Oyamada, and Kaori Fujino will discuss Franz Kafka and his influence on their works. The discussion will be moderated by Takashi Kawashima, a researcher and translator of Kafka's writings. Following the talk, there will be an award ceremony for the Franz Kafka Short Story Contest.

organised by: Czech Centre Tokyo; Goethe-Institut Tokyo; Polish Institute in Tokyo; Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo; The Waseda International House of Literature; Waseda University  Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Creative Writing and Criticism course.

• Show details
• KAFKA PROJEKT 23➔​24
• Registration

Do we have to choose between writing or living? Is it possible to explain the world we live in through literature? Can we use writing as a balm against the struggles of life? What happens with our writing when music, painting and other arts also appeal to us?
In this talk with fiction writer and poet Mercedes Cebrián we will explore all these questions and discuss the ways in which writing can reflect our interests, passions and fantasies to become a life companion as faithful as Hachiko the dog.

• Show details
• Registration

As launch event of “narrating eu:rope”, a new project by the European Union, this event offers a closer look at the latest trends in European literature and new books yet to be discovered by Japanese audiences. At the core of the program are Japanese translators, who translate from European languages to Japanese.  At the pulse of recent tendencies in literature, they will introduce new masterworks from their target languages. Along with music, talks and an exhibition by Japanese publishers, this event dives into the present and future of European literature. In tandem with the launch event “Language on the Move”, the website of “narrating eu:rope” will go live.

• Show details
• Registration

Opening your own treasure box, taking out memories, bringing them to light, dusting them off and looking at them - this is what Doris Dörrie has developed practices of 'creative writing' for, saying that all writing, from shopping lists to academic texts, is creative. In this workshop she will share her experiences, give examples and instructions. In a variety of ways, she will explore with participants approaches to memory and awareness. She shows how we can exercise the muscle of writing and thereby encounter our own lives, our own attitudes.

n.b. Advance registration required. Number of places are limited and knowledge of German is necessary. For details see: www.goethe.de/japan

• Show details
• Registration

Carnegie Medal-winning author, Sarah Crossan (appearing online) will read from her work and join a discussion on Children/Young Adult writing with pioneering Japanese translators, Mizuhito Kanehara and Ritsuko Sambe.

• Show details
• Registration

Francesca Scotti, an author based in both Japan and Italy, will discuss how animals are portrayed in literature, especially in Italian literature, starting from her anthology La camera degli animali (“The Room of Animals,” Il Saggiatore 2022). She will also explain how animals have influenced her work. The event will be moderated by Aya Yamasaki, associate professor at the University of Tokyo and a scholar of modern and contemporary Italian literature.

• Show details
• Registration

In a captivating talk, acclaimed Czech author, poet, and scriptwriter Marek Šindelka sits down with Kenichi Abe, a leading bohemist and translator from the University of Tokyo. The spotlight will be on Šindelka’s mystery novel, 'Aberrant' (Chyba). Dive deep into the intriguing tale of Kryštof Warjak, who attempts a daring act: smuggling an extremely rare orchid from Tokyo to Prague.

• Show details
• Registration

Denmark: Translator Reiko Hidani presents The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen and Danish author  Sune de Souza Schmidt-Madsen creates a video presentation about  A Small Book About Karen Blixen

Finland: Translator Mihoko Ueyama presents Aino + Alvar Aalto: A Life Together by Heikki Aalto-Alanen

"Aino + Alvar Aalto: A Life Together" (original title: Rakastan sinussa ihmistä, 2021, Japanese translation published in October 2023) is based on the letters the Finnish architects Aino and Alvar Aalto exchanged with their families and friends. This book tells the story of how they lived in the midst of major historical upheavals (Finland's independence, World War II). The author of the book is Heikki Aalto-Alanen, the grandson of the two. Ms. Ueyama will share what she felt while translating this work and the appeal of the book.

• Show details
• Registration

Japanese translator of Dutch literature, Yumiko Kunimori, who lives in the Netherlands, is visiting her home country for the first time since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. During her visit she will present her translations of three Dutch titles which were published in Japan during the pandemic. Editors will join this session to talk about how they collaborated on these projects.

Antoinette  by Robbert Welagen, Shueisha, 2022  
De avond is ongemak by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld,  Hayakawa Publishing, 2023
Het snoer der ontferming by Louis Couperus, Sakuhinsha, 2023

• Show details
• Registration

Come with us into the world of Bulgarian folklore - the window to the Bulgarian soul, which has preserved our identity for hundreds of years. We will explore the main themes of the most famous Bulgarian folk songs and introduce you to the values that shape our nation. Our special guest - the publisher Ms. Megumi Tanikawa will make a presentation about her latest book Visions of Bulgarian Folk songs published in 2021. There will also be a musical performance by the singer Ms. Miyuki Sato.

• Show details
• Registration

• Show details
• Registration

A bilingual reading of Children Books for young readers translated to Japanese.

• Show details
• Registration

Let us discover nature’s secret world through the beautiful collection of X-ray photographs of animals and plants! Author Jan Paul Schutten and translator Etsuko Nozaka will read from Inside In (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha 2022 [JPN], Greystone Books 2021[ENG]), in both the original Dutch and Japanese.

• Show details
• Registration

Creating a storybook from idea to execution is an extremely exciting, but also a very long process. Storybook author and illustrator Kitti Csőke dreamed of showing her own stories to the world since childhood. At the event, she would like to provide an insight into the process of making storybook creations, while talking about her storybooks, their background, previous programs related to books and her future plans.

• Show details
• Registration

Gathering authors from four different countries and backgrounds, this talk aims at creating a conversation on the creative perks, the successes and the challenges that await youth literature writers and illustrators in their attempt to address children and young adults through their art, and to navigating their worlds with the sense of responsibility and wonderment that makes youth literature such a flourishing genre.

• Show details
• Registration

The presentation will introduce the representative Lithuanian children's literature authors and their works after the restoration of independence, referring to the historical background, and give an overview of contemporary Lithuanian children's literature, which is characterised by a shift from representation of the traditional children's worldview to deeper insight into the world, and its interpretation through new artistic means.

• Show details
• Registration

Literature is known as a medium that has the power to unravel the unseen, depict multiple realities, and facilitate encounters with the most complex conceptions of the universe. Jan Paul Schutten, one of the most celebrated and awarded writers of non-fiction for children in the Netherlands, and Hélène Druvert, pop-up artist and illustrator of documentary books, have chosen to assume these ambitious missions towards a demanding audience: children. What is it like to mediate science, natural wonders, history, and so on to the younger, through the creative act of writing and drawing?

• Show details
• Registration