Mircea Cărtărescu, One of the Towering Figures of Contemporary Literature, Comes to RCI New York

Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu, the winner of some of the most prestigious international literary awards, including The Dublin Literary Award (2024) and The Los Angeles Times Book Prize (2023), is making his much-awaited return to New York for a special soiree at the Romanian Cultural Institute, in the company of Sean Cotter, the masterful translator of Romanian literature. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to his work, don`t miss the chance to experience Mircea Cărtărescu in person as he talks about his latest novels as well as the people, ideas, and books that have shaped his extraordinary literary career. The great writer will sign on his monumental Solenoid (Deep Vellum, 2022), last year’s literary sensation in America.

Recognized as one of the most influential contemporary writers, Mircea Cărtărescu has captivated global audiences with his unique blend of surrealism, introspection, and rich storytelling. Poet, novelist, literary critic, and political&social commentator, Cărtărescu is one of the most awarded and translated contemporary Romanian writers, who has published over 35 volumes, translated into 25 languages. His masterpiece Solenoid has received The Dublin Literary Award (2024) and The Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction (2023) and was named one of the Best Books of 2022 by the New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, The Financial Times, and Words Without Borders. He has won over 20 international prizes, including The FIL Prize (2022), The Thomas Mann Prize (2018), The Austrian State Prize (2015), The Mondello Prize (2024), the Formentor Prize (2018), and many others.

Sean Cotter is the translator of many works of Romanian literature, including an award-winning edition of Nichita Stănescu's poetry, Wheel with a Single Spoke (Archipelago Books, 2012), Magda Cârneci’s novel FEM (Deep Vellum, 2021), and Mateiu Caragiale’s classic Rakes of the Old Court (Northwestern World Classics, 2021). His study of Romanian translators, Literary Translation and the Idea of a Minor Romania (Rochester, 2014), was awarded the biennial book prize of the Society for Romanian Studies and is forthcoming in Romanian translation with Humanitas Publishing House. Recipient of a PEN/Heim grant and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sean Cotter is Professor of Literature and Translation Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas. His most recent translation is Mircea Cărtărescu’s Solenoid (Deep Vellum, 2022), the winner of The Dublin Literary Prize in 2024.