Norman Manea at 90: An Open Door

Today Norman Manea turns 90.  He is not only a great writer whose books have been formative and illuminating for so many people, but also a cherished friend. For days, I have watched the tributes pour in—essays, memories, letters, and messages of gratitude from readers, critics, fellow writers, and close friends alike. Norman Manea survived and wrote about the twin evils of the twentieth century—fascism … Continue reading Norman Manea at 90: An Open Door

“Reading can make us better” – An interview with Romanian-Moldovan writer Liliana Corobca

Born in the Republic of Moldova, LILIANA COROBCA is a novelist, essayist, and playwright whose work explores the fragile boundaries between history and memory, exile and belonging, censorship and resistance. She debuted with Negrissimo (2003), winner of multiple prizes, followed by A Year in Paradise (2005), Kinderland (2013), and The Old Maids’ Empire (2015). Her bold theatrical monologue Censorship for Beginners (2014) has been staged internationally, while The Censor’s Notebook (winner of the 2023 Oxford‑Weidenfeld Translation Prize), Kinderland, and her latest novel, Too Great a Sky, … Continue reading “Reading can make us better” – An interview with Romanian-Moldovan writer Liliana Corobca

Europe Calling: Liliana Corobca at European Literature Night 2025 in NYC

What do you get when you mix a night of high-caliber literary conversation with the kind of international flair only New York can deliver? European Literature Night, of course—a gathering that’s part salon, part cultural dispatch, and fully a feast for the mind. Now in its 7th edition, this annual celebration of storytelling returns to the city in a couple of days, spotlighting some of Europe’s … Continue reading Europe Calling: Liliana Corobca at European Literature Night 2025 in NYC

Ioana Nicolaie: “There’s a continuum of intensity and lived life in all my books”

One of the most original and powerful voices in contemporary Romanian literature, IOANA NICOLAIE is the author of six novels, five volumes of poetry, and ten children’s books, which have won her numerous literary awards. Her novel, Cartea Reghinei / The Book of Reghina was the winner of the 2020 Radio Romania Cultural Award, Observator Lyceum Prize, National Prose Prize Iași, and Book Agency Award. … Continue reading Ioana Nicolaie: “There’s a continuum of intensity and lived life in all my books”