Book lab – Synopsis of the present: why do we look into diaries?

Present Synopsis: Why do we peek into diaries?

April 8 | 18:00 | Chamber hall “Book Laboratory”

Let’s talk about writers’ diaries. On the one hand, this is the author’s attempt to store life “for himself” for the future, but on the other hand, it is a unique opportunity for us to see the author in his everyday life.

When an author tries to capture the disappearing “now”, it is mostly born without thinking about censorship, critics and eternity. However, there have been periods in history when such notebooks had to be hidden or even burned.

We do not hold a lecture at the “Book Lab” meeting. We listen to excerpts, debate where sincerity ends and literature begins, and try to understand why authors kept diaries and what we, today’s readers, are looking for in them.

Of course, it is not possible to live through several lives in one hour. But if you feel the writer’s voice speaking to you, you can pick up his complete diary and find there something no literary textbook offers: a living person who doubted, loved, and raged just like us.

And a few more important moments from our meeting:

At the end, we will talk about an important discussion that will take place on April 18 at the festival “Projavlenie” in the cultural house “Rugodiv”. We discuss memory and forgetting: what is vital for us to remember and what could be let go? And who really decides what goes down in history and what gets erased?

Immediately after the conversation about the diaries, the representative of the Euronics store shares practical advice: how to choose an e-reader today? If you’re looking for a new device or just considering a purchase, this is a meaningful and specific review.

Moderaator: Екатерина Конакова

Entrance is free. Photo and video recordings are made at the event.