06.05. Julia Cimafiejeva and Alhierd Bacharevič: The Fear Stone & Europe's Dogs, 8 pm
Two Belarusian authors currently living in exile in Hamburg for political reasons will present their books in the latest German translation, report on the current situation in Belarus and tell their stories of exile. They will introduce the audience to the Belarusian culture and language. It will be about the novel “Europas Hunde” by Alhierd Bacharevič (Voland und Quist 2024) and the poetry collection “Der Angststein” by Julia Cimafiejeva (Edition foto.TAPETA 2022).
The event will be held in German, English and Belarusian.
Moderated by Viktorie Knotková
About the authors:
AlhierdBacharevič is a Belarusian writer. He has published several novels and collections of essays, and his books have been translated into German, English, Russian, Polish and other languages. His magnum opus, the 900-page novel “Сабакі Эўропы” (Europe’s dogs), was published in 2017. The text has been staged in London, Berlin, Paris and Adelaide. The novel was published in German translation by Thomas Weiler in 2024. Bacharevič has been awarded several literary prizes (“Book of the Year”, Erwin Piscator Prize, English PEN Award, etc.). Two of his books are classified as “extremist” and banned in Belarus: All of Bacharevič’s works have been thrown out of bookshops and libraries in his home country. Since the end of 2020, Alhierd Bacharevič has been living in exile with his wife, the poet Julia Cimafiejeva, first in Austria and Switzerland, and currently in Hamburg.
Julia Cimafiejeva is a Belarusian poet and translator. She has published several volumes of poetry. Her “Minsk.diary” about everyday life during the 2020 protests in Belarus, originally written in English, has been translated into German, Dutch, Swedish and other languages. Last year it was also published in Belarusian. Cimafiejeva herself translates poetry from English and Norwegian. She has been honored with the Carlos Cherman Prize for her translations. Her book “Motherfield” was published in the United States in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Derek Walkott Prize and longlisted by PEN America. Since the end of 2020, she has been living in exile with her husband, the writer Alhierd Bacharevic, first in Austria and Switzerland, and currently in Hamburg.
