In addition to the event at the Leipzig Book Fair, three participants presented their literary work at a reading held in Literaturhaus Basel on Tuesday, March 11, 2008. These authors from Central Eastern Europe give expression to their literary voices in an original and rebellious manner. Through a critical confrontation with Europe, whose western orientation they refuse to adopt without a fight, they try to develop a writing style of their own in support of their struggle for personal and cultural emancipation. Because they are beginning to rearticulate their own identity now, they also alter the way that Europe sees itself.

After the reading, the talk moderated by Ilma Rakusa from Zürich not only addressed the new look of Europe already uniquely characterized by these authors, but also the vital significance of literature in these regions.

Born 1978 in Chişinău, Moldova, she studied theater science and scenography. Later she worked as a dramatist at the Eugène Ionesco Theater. Her play "FUCK YOU, Eu.ro.Pa!" triggered violent political debates in Romania and the Republic of Moldova and won the Dramacum Award.

Born 1968 in Târgu Mureş/Marosvásárhely, in the Romanian Siebenbürgen region, he works as both a photographer and writer. His publications "The Walk" (1995) and "Peace" (2001) met with great success on the German-language book market. He won the Sándor Márai Award in 2002 and the Attila József Award in 2005. He currently lives and works in Budapest.

Born 1973 in Târgu Mureş/Marosvásárhely, in the Romanian Siebenbürgen region, he published two novels to date: "A pusztítás könyve" (2002), honored with the Bordy Award for the Best First Novel of 2003, and "A fehér király" (2005), translated in German as "Der weiße König" (The White King) and published in 2008. He currently lives and works in Budapest.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at the Literaturhaus Basel.