On Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m., the book Törzsasztal, törzsvendég – József P. Kőrössi’s Conversations with Contemporary Transylvanian Writers and Artists, published by Balassi Publishing House, will be presented in the upstairs lobby of the Hungarian Theatre of in Cluj. Poet Béla Markó will converse with the author; the hosts and discussion partners of the event will be poet and director Gábor Tompa as well as writer and poet András Visky.

Over the course of about ten years, more than a hundred artists — writers, poets, literary translators — have been guests of the now-famous conversation series titled Törzsasztal, organized by writer and poet József P. Kőrössi, the founding discussion partner, in collaboration with László Szűcs, editor-in-chief of Erdélyi Riport and later Újvárad, at different venues in Oradea.

The conversations address not only the canonization of art, his life’s journey, and his artistic creed, but also his intellectual affiliations, circles of influence, role models and peers; furthermore, the focus of interest lies on the sources of conflict between those who remained at home and those who emigrated, as well as the impact of the consequences of these changes on their lives and creative work.

To our knowledge, no similar monthly writer-reader encounters have been held anywhere in the world over a ten-year period, featuring such a significant portion of the leading figures of contemporary Hungarian literature.

The book, which not only features a selection of conversations with the guests of Törzsasztal, includes contributions from: Vilmos Ágoston, Zsófia Balla, Ádám Bodor, László Boka, Béla Cselényi, Éva Cs. Gyimesi, Péter Demény, György Dragomán, Márta Jakabovits, Miklós Jakabovits, Lajos Kántor, Sándor Kányádi, Annamária Kinde, András Ferenc Kovács, Béla Markó, Anamaria Pop, György Selmeczi, Anna T. Szabó, Gábor Tompa, László Újvárossy, and András Visky.

The book will be available for purchase at a discount at the venue.

Admission to the event is free, and the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj warmly welcomes all those interested!