Thursday 23 September 2021

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Opening / the opening of the exposition stand of the Embassy of Independent Belarusian Culture
Stand S104 of the Embassy of Independent Belarusian Culture (in the central part of the book fair)

Grand opening of the exposition of the Embassy of Independent Belarusian Culture, which represents contemporary Belarusian literature at Book World Prague.
Radovan Auer, Miroslav Oščatka, Sjarhej Smatryčenka, Aljaxandr Lukašuk, Tomáš Kubíček, Dmitrij Strocev

4:00 PM – 4:50 PM
Language and literature
Small Atelier, Book World

Belarusian literature has two languages: Belarusian and Russian. What is the symbiosis and to what extent does language shape the position of the author both within society and in the literary context. The possibility of choosing the language for creative work. Moderated by Eva Klíčová.
Taňa Skarynkina, Dmitrij Strocev, Sjarhej Prylucki, Andrej Chadanovič
Moderated by: Eva Klíčová

Friday 24 September 2021

2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Belarusian Women / Does the Belarusian Revolution Have a Female Face?
Small Atelier, Book World

The men are in prison and the women have to go into politics – this is the story of today’s Belarus. On women, politics, literature, and frying pork chops with the leading ladies of Belarusian literature.
Anka Upala, Kryscina Banduryna, Sabina Brilo, Eva Vežnavec, Maxim Žbankov
Moderated by: Johana Ožvold

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
Authors’ Reading of Belarusian Writers
Small Atelier, Book World

Authors’ reading of Belarusian writers.
Alherd Bacharevič, Julja Cimafejeva
Moderated by: Klára Feyberková

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Book Presentation from the Liberty Library Series (RFE/RL Belarus Service)
Small Atelier, Book World

Two recently published books from the Liberty Library series will be presented: “Unknown Minsk” will be presented by its author Sjarhej Ablamejka, and the book “Voices of Belarus” by Sjarhej Dubavec will be presented by Aljaxandr Lukašuk, the director of the RFE/RL Belarus Service station.
Moderated by: Aljaxandr Lukašuk

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Debate / Belarusian Dinner
DOX Centre for Contemporary Art

Authors of contemporary Belarusian fiction and poetry will present their work during an evening debate at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, as part of the programme of Visegrad Focus: Belarus. Jáchym Topol, Czech poet, prose writer, musician, and journalist, will guide you through the meeting under the title “LANGUAGE IS MY HOME”.

You can look forward to meeting Dmitrij Strocev – an author of seventeen books of poetry, a Russian-writing poet and representative of Belarusian underground scene, who has received the Disturbing the Peace Award in 2021 by The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation; journalist Eva Vežnavec – an author of several books, who currently resides in Warsaw, Poland; Andrej Chadanovič – a poet, translator, essayist, literary scientist, former President of the Belarusian Centre of PEN International; Illja Sin – a performer, fiction writer, and co-founder of the literary movement BumBamLit.

Dmitrij Strocev, Andrej Chadanovič, Eva Vežnavec, Illja Sin, Alherd Bacharevič
Moderated by: Jáchym Topol

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Opening Party – Night of Poetry and Music
Bubny railway station

An evening of music and poetry, introducing the stars of Belarusian poetry, interspersed with contemporary Belarusian music. Good time guaranteed.

Playing: Razbitaje serca pacana.

Dmitrij Strocev, Kryscina Banduryna, Andrej Chadanovič, Sjarhej Prylucki, Tacjana Ňadbaj, Sabina Brilo, Taňa Skarynkina, Max Ščur, Julja Cimafejeva
Moderated by: Michal Kocáb
Reading Belarus poetry: Jindřiška Dudziaková

Saturday 25 September 2021

10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
Authors’ Reading of Belarusian Writers
Small Atelier, Book World

Authors’ reading of Belarusian writers.
Sabina Brilo, Dmitrij Strocev, Maxim Žbankov
Moderated by: Petr Vizina

12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
Debate / Away from Home
Large Theatre, Book World

A debate with four Belarusian authors, who have experience with living away from home – in exile.
Eva Vežnavec, Sjarhej Prylucki, Max Ščur, Tacjana Ňadbaj, Julja Cimafejeva
Moderated by: Tomáš Kubíček

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
Authors’ Reading of Belarusian Writers
Large Theatre, Book World

Authors’ reading of Belarusian female writers.
Eva Vežnavec, Anka Upala
Moderated by: Kateřina Tučková

6:00 PM – 6:50 PM
Debate / How to Inform about the Truth?
Atelier Europa, Book World

Independent media in Belarus have all but ceased to exist. It’s necessary to depend on the news from abroad. How does this work, how do Belarusian citizens receive objective news, as well as its reflections and commentaries?
Aljaxandr Lukašuk, Maxim Žbankov, Tacjana Ňadbaj, Sabina Brilo, Alherd Bacharevič
Moderated by: Ondřej Soukup

8:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Belarusian Poetry
Theatre on the Balustrade (Divadlo Na zábradlí), Book World

Authors of contemporary Belarusian poetry will introduce themselves during an evening programme at the Theatre on the Balustrade (Divadlo Na zábradlí), as part of Visegrad Focus: Belarus. The event will be moderated by Petr Váša, a Czech poet and musician. You can look forward to meeting Kryscina Banduryna – the author of a poetry collection titled “Homo” (2019); Taňa Skarynkina – journalist, columnist, and poet; Sjarhej Prylucki – author publishing under the pseudonym “Pistonchyk”, whose poems have also been published in translation into Czech by magazines such as Psí víno or Plav; and Andrej Chadanovič – poet, translator, essayist, literary scientist, former President of the Belarusian Centre of PEN International, and the author of books of poetry.
Kryscina Banduryna, Taňa Skarynkina, Sjarhej Prylucki, Andrej Chadanovič
Moderated by: Petr Váša

Sunday 26 September 2021

12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
Authors’ Reading of Belarusian Writers
Small Atelier, Book World

Authors’ reading of Belarusian writers.
Tacjana Ňadbaj, Ilja Sin, Max Ščur

1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
Free Europe Broadcasting
Atelier Europa, Book World

Debate with journalists of the Belarusian broadcast of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts from Prague.
Aljaxandr Lukašuk, Sjarhej Šupa, Aljaxej Znatkevič, Sjarhej Ablamejka.
Moderated by: Adéla Tallisová Dražanová

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
The Official Closing of VISEGRAD FOCUS: Belarus at the Book World
Stand of the Embassy of Independent Belarusian Culture, Book World

The closing ceremony of the exposition of the Embassy of Independent Belarusian Culture, which represented contemporary Belarusian literature at the Book World.
Radovan Auer, Miroslav Oščatka, Sjarhej Smatryčenka, Tomáš Kubíček, Andrej Chadanovič

PROGRAMME SUBJECT TO CHANGE