Europe Readr

Today’s post is about a new international literature project that has been brought to my attention. Europe Readr was launched in July by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council. The website is a virtual library with 27 free books (one for each EU Member State) available in the original language and English translation.

The selection is themed “The Future of Living”, and aims to offer a range of perspectives on contemporary issues of sustainability and inclusion. The 27 titles, which are available to read until 31 December, are:

• Austria: Michael Roher, Fridolin’s Hair Salon
• Belgium: Ann De Bode, My Street
• Bulgaria: Alexander Shpatov, #LiveFromSofia
• Croatia: Marko Pogačar, Blind Map
• Cyprus: Antonis Georgiou, An Album of Stories
• Czech Republic: Marek Šindelka, Aberrant
• Denmark: Bente Olesen Nyström, Mr. Everything
• Estonia: Paavo Matsin, Gogol’s Disco
• Finland: Sanna Pelliccioni, We Had to Leave
• France: Laurie Agusti, A Night Journey
• Germany: Lukas Jüliger, Unfollow
• Greece: Christos Ikonomou, Something Will Happen, You’ll See
• Hungary: Kinga Rofusz, Otthon
• Ireland: Nicole Flattery, Show Them A Good Time
• Italy: Tiziano Fratus, Every Tree is a Poet
• Latvia: Māris Bērziņš, Gūtenmorgens
• Lithuania: Akvilė Kavaliauskaitė, Bodies
• Luxembourg: Gast Groeber, Every Day Just Hides Another
• Malta: Elizabeth Grech, bejn baħar u baħar
• Netherlands: Noëlle Smit, In the Garden
• Poland: Julia Fiedorczuk, Psalms
• Portugal: Bernardo P. Carvalho, Trocoscópio
• Romania: Ana Blandiana, My Native Land A4
• Slovakia: Mária Ferenčuhová, Threatened Species
• Slovenia: Drago Jančar, The Tree with no Name
• Spain: Roser Capdevila, The City
• Sweden: Axel Lindén, Every Other Pine, Every Other Fir

Besides the website, Europe Readr is setting up public reading spaces (“reading pavilions”) in cities around the world. Rosie Goldsmith of the European Literature Network is also interviewing the 27 authors in an ongoing series of podcasts.

All in all, Europe Readr looks an exciting project, and I’d like to thank them for getting in touch.