Summer agenda: Literary readings in the Citizens’ Garden

More cultural activities will be on offer this summer in the beautiful Citizens’ Garden in Brussels. Located right next to the European Parliament, this serene oasis in the heart of the buzzing EU District will offer a chance to slow down and reflect with a series of literary readings. It is a perfect opportunity to get immersed in European literature with authors from Belgium, Czechia, France, and Ukraine.

Each reading will be followed by an interactive Q&A session with the moderator, where the public can ask questions and learn more about the authors and their work. You can find more details about each session and the full schedule below.

In addition, a series of concerts are taking place this summer in the same location and you can learn more in our dedicated article about summer concerts in the Citizens’ Garden.

Week 1

Tuesday, 5 July at 12:30
Belgian author Lize Spit will read from her début novel “The Melting”. Telling a tale of revenge in a small Belgian village, the book sold more than 215 000 copies and has been translated into 15 languages.
Moderated by: Gerolf Falter, Head of Unit, European Parliament Liaison Office, Belgium.

Thursday, 7 July at 12:30 (IN FRENCH)
Discover what happens when music and literature meet during the performance of a ‘dialogue between a novel and a violin’. Violinist Elsa Grether and writer Alexis Ragougneau offer you a variation on the novel Opus 77, published in September 2019 by Viviane Hamy, alternating readings of excerpts and pieces played on violin.
Moderated by: Lise Chasteloux, Éditions Viviane Hamy, Groupe Flammarion, Paris, France.

Week 2

Tuesday, 12 July at 12:30
Author of “the most influential Ukrainian book since independence,” and leading public intellectual Oksana Zabuzhko will read from her gripping short story collection “Your Ad Could Go Here”.
Moderated by: Natalya Melnyk, Head of the Ukrainian civil society hub, First Secretary of the MFA of Ukraine

Thursday, 14 July at 12:30
Dive into the world of Czech novel “The Lake”, with Czech author Bianca Bellová. Her dystopian page-turner about the coming of age of a young hero won the 2017 EU Prize for Literature.
Moderated by: Jitka Pánek Jurková, Director, Czech Centre Brussels

For more info and latest updates, check the event page on Facebook.