Writer Philipp Blom to deliver first State of European Literature lecture

Philipp Blom (Foto: Vera de Kok / CC BY-SA 4. On 18 September, the Faculty of Humanities is organising the State of European Literature for the first time, an annual lecture in which a renowned European writer will examine the significance of literature in modern-day Europe. 'With the lecture, we want to highlight the importance of international, European literature for a broad audience in Amsterdam', tells initiator and assistant professor of European Studies Guido Snel.' Our aim is to make people aware of how important the core values of literature and culture are to Europe - such as curiosity, imagination, reflection, innovation and translation.' - Storytellers in times of crisis. In this first edition, Philipp Blom - known for such works as The Vertigo Years and his most recent book to be published in the Netherlands Het grote wereldtoneel (The Great World Stage) - will give his view on the new role of storytellers in a world that has changed drastically due to climate crisis, a pandemic and economic malaise. Which role can literature play in finding a shared social purpose in times of crisis? The lecture is a joint initiative of the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities and the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES) in collaboration with The Netherlands Research School for Literary Studies (OSL) and SPUI25. European Literature Night. The State of European Literature precedes the European Literature Night, an annual literary festival organised by EUNIC Netherlands , which brings together renowned authors and promising literary talent from all over Europe.