For the first time, the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia hosted the European initiative Literature Night on September 25th between 18:00 and 21:30. The guest book was Birnam Wood by New Zealand author Eleanor Catton, presented by Mrs Dobryana Petkova from the British Council in Bulgaria and actress Iva Kalafatova (Iva Kala), who read out an excerpt. The audience rotated out every half an hour in order to hear a part of the gripping story, which combines tension, ecological activism, and an in-depth study of the human character. The plot takes place in New Zealand, on the cusp of an ecological crisis. In the centre of the story lies a guerilla gardening group, united by the common goal to restore abandoned land through sustainable agriculture. These people’s mission is as noble as it is controversial, raising questions about legality and morals.
The tension rises with the appearance of a mysterious billionaire who is planning to build a self-sustaining, technocratic refuge on the same disputed land. The clash between the two turns into a powerful allegory for the global challenges linked to environmental conservation and social justice.
Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Eleanor Catton now lives in Cambridge. She is known for her ability to unite deep psychological insights with masterful storytelling and became world-famous for her book The Luminaries, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2013. At that time, she was only 28, and as such became the award’s youngest winner. Her ambitious novels combine plot with wit, exploring the mechanics of societal failures and triumphs.
Birnam Wood is the best book of 2023 according to Amazon, Time, New Yorker, Kirkus, Telegraph, Atlantic, and Financial Times.
Literature Night is an initiative by Czech Centres around the world and aims to popularise contemporary European poetry and fiction through non-standard readings of excerpts of translated books in atypical and unexpected locations. It has been taking place in Bulgaria since 2012.