U T R E C H T

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

L I T E R AT U R E D AY S

INTERNATIONALE

UTRECHT

LITERATUURDAGEN

City2Cities

www.city2cities.com

Every spring one of the oldest literary cities in the Netherlands unites with two of its European counterparts. In 2011 ‘City2Cities: International Literature Days’ was launched in Utrecht, with great success. Each year, for several days around World Book Day (April the 23rd), an impressive Spiegeltent (Mirror Tent) in Utrecht is the meeting point for literary Europe.

A tale of two cities

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Utrecht, city of literatureHigh above the roofs of Utrecht the Dom Tower looks down on the city. Like a compass needle it points out the cultural and car-tographic centre of the city. Looking out from the 112 meter high tower you will see the winding canals, the narrow alleys and many unexpected courtyards. In every nook and cranny there is history to be found and every corner has a story to tell.

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We like the chemistry...Each City2Cities edition presents unique meetings between international au-thors. Dutch novelists and poets invite authors from the two guest cities to travel to Utrecht. In the picture: Dutch writer Anna Enquist with Swedish author Håkan Nesser, who is well-known for his Van Veeteren novels (and his stunning dog Norton).

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We like the chemistry...These public meetings of authors often result in surprising conversations and the initiation of new readers.

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1] Dutch novelist and poet Bernlef with Swedish poet Lars Gustafsson. 2] Scottish Poet Laure-ate Liz Lochhead with Dutch poet Jan Baeke. 3] Utrecht Poet Laureate Ingmar Heytze with Scot-tish poet John Burnside.

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Street of LiteratureThe Street of Literature is a unique one day event during each City2Cities festival. More than 50 authors, poets, musicians, scientists, historians and philosophers co-operate to create a vibrant street filled with prose, poetry, lectures and concerts. Our festival grounds consist out of one long street that cuts right through the cultural heart of Utrecht.

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Start your literary journey at Dom Square where you can at-tend lectures in the centuries old Academy Building or you climb the 112 metres high Dom Tower to listen to poetry. Visit the Utrecht City Archives with our Spiegeltent located in front of the building, enjoy poetry read by poets in living rooms or hop on one of the bicycle cabs that bring you to other loca-tions in the street. Meet your favourite authors in Museum Ca-tharijneconvent or the University Museum, drop by the Miffy/Dick Bruna House or listen to writers and musicians in the Central Museum. 6

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In depth and spot on City2Cities offers time and space for expert meetings and master classes. In the picture: Scottish novelist Michel Faber and his Dutch translators gave a one-off master class for Literary Translation students. 9

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For the kidsChildren and youth literature is an important feature of the City2Cities festival. Several of the festival’s activtities, vary-ing from a Harry Potter contest to readings by authors of children’s books, are especially meant to entertain our read-ers of the future. We simply cannot ignore the youngest readers since Utrecht is the home of ‘Miffy’, the famous rab-bit that taught and still teaches millions of children all over the world to read.

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1] The Young Poets Society: Alex Bengtsson (left) from Stockholm is interviewed by Utrecht-based poet Alexis de Roode2] Claire Askew reading from the City2Cities’ anthology, 3] Visitors enjoying the performances

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Students and beginnersThe City2Cities programme is put together with the help of many stu-dents. With Utrecht University as our affiliate partner, C2C aims to con-tribute to a climate of intellectual challenge and pleasurable learn-ing. An example of the participation of young people and students is the involvement of young translators in the many translation pro-jects. Most notable is the ‘Young Poets Society’: each year three young poets, one from each city, translate each other’s poems with the help of Literary Translation students. 13

In the picture: conductor Sir Richard Neville-Towle thanks guest musician Anna Enquist for her perseverance during the rehearsals and the concert with the Really Terrible Orchestra.

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In the fringeAlthough literature is unquestionably City2Cities’s main fo-cus, in the fringe the festival is open to cinema, theatre and music. In 2011 Edinburgh’s notorious Really Terrible Orches-tra gave its first concert in the Netherlands, inviting Dutch authors J. Bernlef and Anna Enquist as its guest soloists on respectively piano and cello. The concert was sold out and the hall was packed with hundreds of music lovers who had bought a ticket for the ‘worst orchestra in the world.’ As ex-pected, they joyfully experienced several dreadful versions of unrecognizable classic masterpieces. 15

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New translations, books, music and moreCity2Cities produces several new translations, books, musical adaptations and short film docu-mentaries. Each year, the Dutch poem ‘Awater’ is translated into the languages of our guest cities. ‘Awater’ by Martinus Nijhoff is one of Dutch Modernism’s key works. Its fame and influence is comparable to Eliot’s ‘The Wasteland’ and Pessoa’s ‘Tobacco Shop’. Also many poems, prose texts and essays written by festival guests are translated during the festival. The City2Cities anthology contains texts by many of these authors. Furthermore the festival involves presentations of newly translated novels, theatre shows and monologues exclusively developed for C2C. In addition pop and jazz singers sing texts written by festival poets.

1] Poems left by visitors, exhibited on the wall of the Spiegeltent2, 3] Young poets Daniël Vis and Baban reading in living rooms4] A fully packed Spiegeltent for yet another performance

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Contact usCity2Cities: Utrecht International Literature Dayswww.city2cities.cominfo@city2cities.com

C2C StaffMichaël Stoker (programme director) michael@city2cities.nlAnouk Prins (production manager) anouk@city2cities.nl

Programme team:Gina van den Berg, Joska Berg, Marijke van Dorst, Jette van den Eijnden, Sophie Kok, Taco Schreij.

C2C BoardRudi Wester (chairman), Wiljan van den Akker, Ari Doeser, Jos W. Lemaier, Geneviève Waldmann

City2Cities: Utrecht International Literature DaysLange Nieuwstraat 213512 PB UtrechtThe Netherlands0031 30 230 8376

Colofon: Anouk Prins, Michaël Stoker, Kila van der Starre. (editors).Photography: Nadine Ancher (p. 3, 10, 11), Gert Noordhoek (p. 2), Anouk Prins (p. 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16), Taco Schreij (p. 1, 5, 7, 14, 15), Mark Sluijter (p. 16).

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The Treaty of UtrechtCity2Cities is part of the Treaty of Utrecht celebrations. The Vrede van Utrecht – or Treaty of Utrecht/Peace of Utrecht – is the name of a worldwide peace treaty signed in the city of Utrecht in 1713. It is also the name of the foundation that is planning the celebration to commemorate this important event. In 2013, the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht will be marked with spectacular celebrations. The activities will take place in the city and province of Utrecht. The next step in the development will be the city becoming European Capital of Culture in 2018.

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Cities that want to be a C2C-City in future fes-tivals can apply for candidacy. The committee has selected the following guest cities for the coming editions of C2C: Edinburgh and Stock-holm (2011), Barcelona and Prague (2012) and Berlin and Lisbon (2013). For the editions be-tween 2014 and 2018 ten new cities will be in-vited to present themselves as the best choice.

Candidates should meet the following criteria:• In the period 2014-2018 the festival will limit itself to European countries, meaning that only cities in the 27 countries of the European Union can apply for candi-dacy. • You should be able to demonstrate the literary value of your city in terms of the presence of a lively literary scene (with authors, publishers, institutions and/or festivals within the borders of your city); you should be able to give examples of your city’s presence in novels or poems.• Your city should have a university.

What does C2C have to offer?• A great opportunity to present literature from your country in the Netherlands and stimulate new transla-tions and book publications• Literary exchanges between Dutch authors and au-thors from your country• Possibilities for interesting collaborations in several cultural areas• High level contacts with international authors, pub-lishers and readers • Co-financing by the festival organisation, Dutch and international sponsors and governments• Widespread media coverage• Promotion for tourism to your country

Applications can be submitted by city councils, embassies, literary institutions or universities, by sending an application letter to the City2Cities or-ganisation. City2Cities will contact you for further information.

Nominate your city!

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Nominate your city!

Nominate your city as a guest city during an edi-tion of City2Cities between 2014 and 2018. See pages 18 and 19 for more information.

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