May 21 – Lisbon is hosting its first “Noite de Literatura Europeia,” a literary journey between the Chiado and Rato districts, traditional areas of the city. The route proposed by the organizers of the “Noite” includes eight literary trails in emblematic spots, where there will be readings from the works of eight famous writers representative of contemporary European literature. The readings will take place between 18.30 and 22.30 on Friday night, in the presence of some of the authors. The texts will be read in their original language with a Portuguese translation by professional actors and students of the School of Theatre and Cinema. Italy will be represented by Massimo Gramellini. The writer, invited by the Italian Institute of Culture, will be at the Museu Mãe d’Agua das Amoreiras, where he will read selected passages from his novel “Fai Bei Sogni.” Pedro Sousa Loureiro, a student at the local University School of Theatre and Cinema, will read the Portuguese translation, published by Editora Bertrand under the title “Tem bons sonhos.” The event “Noites de Literatura Europeia” began in 2008 in Prague in order to popularize European literature in a creative way under an unusual format. The Lisbon edition is the result of a joint collaboration of cultural institutions within the EUNIC Portugal network: the Italian Cultural Institute, the British Council, Camões – Instituto da da Língua and Cooperação, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français du Portugal , Instituto Cervantes, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Ibero-American Institute of Finland. The project is co-financed by the European Commission.
