We are Wales: disparate voices, landscapes and stories
British Council Literature Seminar, 4 – 6 March 2021
In 2021 the Welsh Government is celebrating an exciting Wales in Germany season with numerous partners in Germany. After its strong focus on Scottish literature and the Scottish Literature Now! theme in Hamburg last year, the British Council Literature Seminar will feature contemporary writing from Wales at the Literaturhaus Stuttgart from 4 – 6 March 2021, in partnership with the Welsh Government, Literature Wales, and the cities of Cardiff and Stuttgart.
The Welsh Government has launched a new campaign Wales in Germany 2021 to showcase the breadth of activity and exchange happening in Germany and in Wales across commerce, science and innovation, culture and the arts, education, alumni, tourism, civic links and sustainable development.
Wales is a nation open to new ideas, always inspiring, ready and willing to collaborate; a creative nation with talented people, a proud history and a rich bilingual culture to celebrate and share. Learn more about the Wales in Germany season and the platform of dialogue and exchange between Wales and Germany here.
It is a great honour for us that Niall Griffiths and Dr Francesca Rhydderch, two renowned authors from Wales, will chair the British Council Literature Seminar 2021, both of them having been awarded the Wales Book of the Year Award.
Due to current circumstances, the seminar will take place in a fully digital format. The seminar will take place online via Zoom. The introductory event will start on Thursday 4 March at 18.30 CET and the closing event will take place on Saturday 6 March at 19.15 CET. The seminar will consist of two public readings, presentations by four further literary voices from Wales, two panel discussions and four author-led workshops.
We are excited to welcome Welsh writers Professor Richard Gwyn, Zoë Brigley, Manon Steffan Ros and Professor Charlotte Williams OBE for readings, discussions and workshops. Additionally, new Welsh writers Joao Morais, Richard Owain Roberts, Hanan Issa, Eluned Gramich, Alex Wharton and Ifan Morgan Jones will be featured through specially commissioned films and will also take part in the panel discussions.
The event will also showcase National Dance Company Wales' new digital film project Plethu/Weave that brings together dancers from NDCWales, partnered with poets and commissioned by Literature Wales, to create short solo performances during lockdown.
The seminar will offer academics, students, publishers, translators and journalists from across Europe the chance to experience some of the best of Welsh literature and engage with writers and their work first-hand.