On Friday, 27th February 2026, European Literature Night will take place in 10 curated sites stretching from the historical Central to Sheung Wan district. Featuring performances of Nobel Prize titles, niche cultural and social spaces, and a wonderful community.
Literature Night was founded 20 years ago, as a project to bridge the public with unusual and inaccessible places with contemporary European literature. In the course of two decades, Literature Night has established its presence across Northern America, Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia and Hong Kong as well. With Hong Kong being the debuting city from the East Asia sphere.
Presented collectively by European consulates and local communities, EUNIC Cluster Hong Kong (Alliance Française, Consulate General of Czechia and Czech Centres, Goethe-Institut, Istituto Italiano di Cultura) proudly welcomes the 3rd edition of European Literature Night, with the support of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival.
How It Works
Each venue hosts a live English reading every 30 minutes. Visit as many as you like. Collect stamps and get a free book after the 9th stamp/performance at Bookazine Social, until quotas are out. Sign language provided.
The programme is designed as a literary promenade, with performances running from 18:00 to 22:40 across all venues. Books featured during the readings will be available through Bookazine, allowing audiences to take home the stories they encounter.
Event Details
Date: Friday, 27 February 2026
Time: 18:00 – 22:40
Venues: 10 cultural spaces across Central & Sheung Wan
Admission: Free | RSVP & Walk-ins welcome
For more information and RSVP here.
Hungary | 27 February 2026 | Wyndham Social
Satantango by László Krasznahorkai
Translated into English by George Szirtes.
The English-language novel was published by New Directions Publishing Corporation.
László Krasznahorkai, WINNER OF THE 2025 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
Born in Gyula, Hungary, in 1954, László Krasznahorkai is celebrated for his dystopian and melancholic novels that delve deeply into human existence. Often described as postmodern, his work has earned him numerous distinctions, including the 2013 Best Translated Book Award in Fiction for Satantango, the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature, the 2015 Man Booker International Prize, and the 2024 Prix Formentor for lifetime achievement. László Krasznahorkai received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”. His writing, translated into over forty languages, has gained global acclaim. Several of his novels, including Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, have been adapted into acclaimed feature films directed by Béla Tarr, further extending the reach of his unique literary vision.
|
Satantango, written by 2025 Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai, proves that the devil has all the good times. The novel that inspired Béla Tarr’s classic film unfolds in an isolated hamlet over a few rain-soaked days. Only a dozen inhabitants remain in the bleak village, rank with failed schemes, betrayals, infidelity, hopes, and aborted dreams. “Their world,” says translator George Szirtes, “is rough and ready, lost between the cosmic and tragic, in one small corner of the cosmos. Theirs is the dance of death.” Into this world comes, it seems, a messiah…
Winner of the 2013 Best Translated Book Award
Author László Krasznahorkai, WINNER OF THE 2025 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”.
|
Presenter: VULGO Theatre
Attila Gönczy is a talented Hungarian actor residing in Hong Kong, and the visionary founder of both Aurelian Academy and VULGO Theatre. Established in 2023, VULGO Theatre is a Hong Kong-based company, dedicating to captivating audiences through performances that explore the depths of human emotion and creativity. Their shows invite viewers to immerse in unique stories, blending innovative staging with powerful acting.
The 2026 Line-Up
Belgium-Slovenia – Add cyanide to taste by Karmen Spiljak | Rachel Smith @ The Siberian
Czechia – A Brief History of Living Forever by Jaroslav Kalfař | Ellie Law @ Mount Zero Books
Germany – About People by Juli Zeh | Wong Yi Eva @ Print Art Contemporary
Spain – Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado | Billy Chan @ Wyndham Social
Finland – The Clues in the Fjord by Satu Rämö | Joms Ortega @ One Bite Design Studio
France – The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman | Billy Chan @ Parenthèses
Hungary – Satantango by László Krasznahorkai | Vulgo Theatre @ Wyndham Social
Ireland – The Bee Sting by Paul Murray | Dr. Moonyoung Hong @ Bookazine
Italy – The Lake's Water Is Never Sweet by Giulia Caminito | Elizabeth Chung @ La Biblioteca Italian Library
Netherlands – Grand Hotel Europa by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer | Mart van de ven @ Habyt
Ukraine – (IN)Visible by Ivan Baidak | Mo Ka Yan Mocha @ 10 Chancery Lane Gallery