Literature festivals create a rare and valuable space for dialogue: Slovak Writer Lukáš Cabala at a literary meet in Kolkata

The Delegation of the European Union to India hosts Slovak writer Lukáš Cabala at a literary meet in Kolkata. Nominated for the 2025 European Union Prize for Literature, Lukáš is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Slovak writing. His work is recognised for its nuanced engagement with memory, philosophy and the relationship between time, place and narrative form.

At the festival, Lukáš Cabala was part of a session titled 'Time, Space and the Restless Narrator: Philosophy and the Storyteller.' He was in conversation with K Sridhar, writer and literary commentator, with the session moderated by Supriya Chaudhuri, literary scholar, critic, and former Professor of English at Jadavpur University.

The author, nominated for the prestigious Anasoft Litera Prize, also discussed his novel Spomenieš si na Trenčín? (Will you remember Trenčín?), which blend past and present, explores themes of memory, identity, and the feeling of home. The book is the loose, final part of a trilogy, featuring characters drifting through the city’s historical and imaginary spaces. He also spoke about his new book, Leto postávalo v horúcom vzduchu (Summer Was Standing Around in Hot Air).

Speaking at the meet, Lukáš Cabala said, “I am delighted to be participating in the Kolkata Literary Meet. Literature festivals like this create a rare and valuable space for dialogue, where writers and readers from different cultures can come together to share ideas shaped by memory, place, and experience. It is through such exchanges that literature continues to grow and remain relevant across borders.”

Through its cultural initiatives, the Delegation of the European Union to India reaffirms its commitment to fostering cultural dialogue, promoting creative exchange, and strengthening people-to-people ties between Europe and India.
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