Beyond Trump: Greenlandic literature takes centre stage in Brno
Throughout July, the Author's Reading Month (Měsíc autorského čtení, MAČ) will bring together Czech and international writers in a literary format unlike any other in Europe. This year’s guest of honour is Greenland, whose little-known literary scene will be showcased through around 30 events in Brno and five other cities. Pavel Drábek, the festival’s international programme director, translator and academic, told Radio Prague International why this choice has been years in the making and goes far beyond current geopolitical headlines.
The festival opens this Wednesday with Greenlandic artist and writer Jessie Kleemann alongside Czech author Jáchym Topol, and will end on July 31 with a special appearance by Togolese writer and explorer Tété-Michel Kpomassie, author of An African in Greenland, a travel memoir that has become a classic.
The Author’s Reading Month has become one of Brno’s signature summer events. What makes it unique compared with other literary festivals across Europe?
“The Month of Author’s Reading is unique not only because of its scale and international reach – it runs for an entire month across five cities in Czechia and Slovakia, as well as partly in Lviv, Ukraine – but also because of its immediacy, its welcoming atmosphere and the often unexpected nature of its programme. Where else can you meet so many writers from the same country in one place and have the chance to chat with them?”
This year’s guest of honour is Greenland. Why did you choose it? What can Greenlandic literature offer Czech and European readers, given how little known it still is here?
“We have been working on this Greenland edition for several years, so it has absolutely nothing to do with the current opportunism of the US administration.
Why Greenland? Perhaps precisely because nobody would have thought of it. We know the country as a vast, icy and inhospitable island in the North Atlantic, famous for its spectacular landscapes and extraordinary nature. But we rarely know what shapes Greenlandic culture, or the stories its people tell.
Greenlandic literature is remarkably diverse. To me, it revolves around three major themes: the individual's dependence on others and their close relationship with nature and the surrounding environment; the constant proximity of death; and the complex encounters between different civilizations – from living with the legacy of Danish colonial rule to confronting a culture driven by profit and resource extraction, as well as the clash between the digital world and the traditional world of hunters.
In that sense, Greenlandic literature holds up a mirror to the history of our own civilization.”
Was it difficult to establish contacts with Greenland’s literary community?
“Making the first contacts was actually quite straightforward thanks to an exceptional partner: Kalaallit Atuakkiortut, the Greenlandic Writers’ Association, especially its president Juaaka Lyberth and vice-president Katti Frederiksen.
The more difficult part was earning the trust of the writers themselves. On the one hand, they are naturally cautious about extraordinary – or perhaps too-good-to-be-true – ideas coming from abroad. On the other, Greenland is a vast country where time moves at a different pace.”
You have said before that literature is often more effective than political speeches in breaking down stereotypes. Which misconceptions about Greenland do you hope this edition of the festival will challenge?
“Greenland is not a destination for adventurers or wanderlust enthusiasts – who are usually men. Nor is it a country waiting to be saved, whether by a religious missionary or a political saviour.
Greenlandic society and culture are extraordinarily diverse, and literature is the best way to discover that.”
The festival always pairs a Czech writer with an author from the guest country. What do these sometimes unexpected encounters bring to the writers themselves? Do they lead to real collaborations or are they mainly a source of inspiration?
“That depends entirely on the writers themselves. They do not read together and their literary worlds do not directly intersect. In fact, that probably would not benefit either of them. These meetings are largely spontaneous, but sometimes they become a source of inspiration.”
Taiwan was recently the festival’s guest of honour, and in recent weeks you have also invited Taiwanese authors to Poland. Taiwan and Greenland are both islands that attract the attention of powerful neighbours. Do you see any common ground between their literary traditions?
“It is true that island societies have their own particular dynamics, but there are more differences than similarities between Taiwan and Greenland.
What they do share is a post-colonial experience and the fact that both islands are coveted by imperialist powers. That is reflected in contemporary poetry and fiction. But I would be cautious about pushing the comparison too far.”
