To go or not to go, that is the question: Paris Salon du Livre 2013

(Photo source) What could have been a superb event for Romania abroad has turned into a scandal. How sad it is when culture becomes so polluted by ineptitude, politics, self-gratification and incompetence that those who really DO represent culture feel obliged to back away... The 33rd Salon du Livre in Paris is rapidly approaching and several notable Romanian authors have decided not to attend Paris's greatest literary event of the year in protest of ICR's degradation in the hands of its 'director' (entre guillemets), Andrei Marga.

Since Marga's arrival as Director of the ICR, he has been the protagonist of, to name just a few, a number of controversial public scandals:

1) The famous declaration in which he proposed to promote the lowly radiator which he deemed was invented in Transylvania

2) The cancellation of several very successful cultural events: TIFF, Festivalul de Jazz de la Sibiu, Festivalul National de Teatru al UNITER, and others

3) cheating in the 'concours' for positions in ICR branches abroad

4) Publishing his own book,  "Cultura, modernizare, democratie" (dig that irony) at the publishing house of the institution he himself heads

5) the firing with NO motive whatsoever of ICR directors abroad, amongst them the director of ICR Paris Katia Danila, and her assistant director Simona Radulescu, who are both responsible for Romania being honoured at the Salon du Livre

6) The inexplicable opening of ICR branches in Targu-Jiu, Baia Mare, Cluj and Craiova. Reason given: saving money on activities carried out abroad... (that one remains a complete enigma to me)

Interviewed by ARP, author Mircea Cartarescu said, "My absence from the Salon du Livre is, above all else, a protest. In a Romania where the situation degenerates day after day (...), culture is going through dramatic times."

Poet, novelist and best known for "Orbitor" (winner of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt prize in Berlin 2012), Mircea Cartarescu was amongst 27 Romanian writers invited to Paris where Romania is to be honoured.

(Image source) Last summer saw a shot-gun reorganisation of the ICR, provoking international outcry and triggering a number of Romanian intellectuals to cut all ties with the institute. Hundreds of artists across the world including Noble Prize Winners of Literature Tomas Tranströmer and Herta Müller, the French editor Paul Otchakovsky-Laurens (Editions P.O.L), writer Jean Mattern, and Romanian film directors Cristian Mungiu and Cristi Puiu denounced the changes as a "purging", accusing ICR of intending to politicise culture.

Named head of ICR by the majority of the centre left, the ex-minister of Foreign Affairs Marga (and also minister of education for a short time before he was accused of plagiarism and forced to stand down) immediately set to making changes pertaining to ICR's main mission, announcing that the institution's goal was to "preserve national identity". This lead to numerous Romanian artists and intellectuals severing all ties with ICR, which had previously been focused on the promotion of independent artists, and sparked angry protest.

Mircea Cartarescu told AFP, "The new management of ICR has yanked us back forty years to the times of Ceausescu and his "kulturniks" - those activists responsible for culture. The Marga team has insulted Romania's greatest artists and has declared war on some of the country's most popular intellectuals."

Several other well-known authors invited to Paris, amongst them Dr Neagu Djuvara, Petru Cimpoieşu, D. R. Popescu, Paul Goma, Andrei Plesu and Gabriel Liiceanu have announced that they too, shall not be attending, marking their equal discordance with ICR's politics. A few days ago, Andrei Plesu told HotNews.ro that he found it "immoral to allow myself to be included in the programme of an institution going adrift."

"I believe we're going to need more courage and solidarity in the face of such cultural amateurishness," said Cartarescu. "If not, we will all be suffocated."

(Photo source) On Tuesday, Andrei Marga (left) directly criticised both Andrei Plesu and Filip Florian. In his scathing communiqué, he declared: "For those who have chosen not to accept the French invitation, the almost one hundred other authors present at the Salon will represent Romania in a manner befitting Romanian culture." Almost one hundred? But France (having consulted ICR) only invited 27 (Gabriela Adamesteanu, Radu Aldulescu, Savatie Bastovoi, Mircea Cartarescu, Petru Cimpoesu, Florina Ilis, Dan Lungu, Norman Manea, Marius Daniel Popescu, Razvan Radulescu, Adina Rosetti, Bogdan Suceava, Lucian Dan Teodorovici, Dumitru Tsepeneag, Eugen Uricaru, Varujan Vosganian, Ana Blandiana, Doina Ioanid, Nicoleta Esinencu, Alina Nelega, Matei Visniec, Lucian Boia, Gabriel Liiceanu, Andrei Oisteanu, Andrei Plesu, Ileana Surducan and Alex Tamba)!!

Unfortunately for the aforementioned Romanian culture, apart from a few exceptions, there now seems to be only the more minor authors attending...

Filip Florian told Observatorul Cultural that "an earthquake has hit over the last few months. It's absolutely shocking - like something out of a bad film or the theatre of the absurd. Excessive jingoism." He went on to criticise the personality cult which seems to have built up around Marga. "Everything on their website is nothing but Marga. (...) It's shameful! Scandalously shameful."

Nine O'Clock, an English language newspaper in Bucharest, points out that, apart from the list of Romanian authors drawn up by the French organisers, the ICR leaders found it appropriate to make two more guest lists (one fully funded by the ICR, the other, by the Ministry of Culture which includes Horia Bădescu, Gabriel Chifu, Riri Manor, Mircea Martin, Valentin Nicolau, Marta Petreu, Ioan Es. Pop, Eugen Simion and Dănuţ Ungureanu). THIS site also reports that ARH Prince Radu wants to present his 'chef d'oeuvre' in Paris, too.

"This is no longer about celebrating Romanian literature in Paris," said Gabriel Liiceanu. "The French organisers’ selection of Romanian writers was opposed to a Romanian-made list which reflected political and personal account-settling by the current leadership of the ICR." What a cheek Marga has... inviting another bunch of 'mates' to a party where the invitations have already been sent... the man is as brazen as heck.

The ICR list includes Augustin Buzura, Nicolae Breban, Stelian Tanase, Adrian Cioroianu, Cristian Parvulescu, Mircea Dinescu, as well as Dr Djuvara and Daniela Zeca Buzura. Augustin Buzura said he had decided against attending on health grounds.

Historian Dr Djuvara told Hotnews: "It doesn’t tempt me in the least to show off at book fairs. It tires me, and ICR now leaves me cold. I don’t keep in touch with those who run the Romanian Cultural Institute anymore and neither do they with me. I would be glad if they would leave me alone."

Asked why they increased the original guest list, ICR explained in a press release that "this is a major cultural event and it is only normal for as many authors as possible to attend. We wanted as comprehensive a participation as possible for Romanian literature at a moment honouring national culture”. Yes, but you forget, ICR, that the objective of the Salon du Livre is not to honour ICR/Marga arrogance but ROMANIAN culture...

Author and poet Ana Blandiana told Mediafax that she was going to Paris and would do so not to represent the Romanian government nor ICR, but for her own books and for Romanian literature, which is the real guest of honour at the Salon. "I will be in Paris as guest of the French Ministry of Culture and from a normal obligation I have to my French editor who launches «Les Saisons», a volume of fantasy short stories, financed by him, without any help from ICR,” she said.

Meanwhile, Victor Ponta has since announced that he will not be going to Paris. Romania will instead be represented by Culture Minister Daniel Barbu.

For friends coming all the way from Bucharest for the Salon in Paris this week, I am deeply sorry... we should be feeling proud to share Romanian literature together in such a richly cultural environment instead of the usual feeling of frustration caused by ignorant perceptions connecting the country to gypsies, rising crime, corruption and immigration issues. I very much admire the authors who have decided not to participate, understand them very well, but I grieve a little too. Anna Blandiana is quite right - this salon is to honour Romania and its written word and those who are going should be there for one reason and one reason only. It is NOT about preening Marga's feathers, slurping to his ignorance and boulstering his jumped-up ambition. The two people who made it possible for Romania to be honoured there at all through a huge amount of hard work and string-pulling have been fired for their trouble. Wouldn't it be better to go speak to as many journalists (thus profiting from the cohorts of them always present at this event) as possible giving way to future detailed reports splattered across the international press on the recent outrageous happenings at ICR, the attacks made on culture and the general abuse of power coming straight from Marga's chair. I, for one, intend to do just that...

For more, please read this excellent article for Hotnews by Vlad Mixich, THIS from Revista 22, THIS from Romania Libera by Sidonia Bogdan and THIS one from Ziarul de Iasi. For those wishing to add their voice to the cry for Marga's resignation, please sign THIS PETITION. In addition, if you have 'liked' ICR's page on FB and wish you hadn't, please join the movement to UNLIKE ICR since there is little there to still support and encourage.

Thursday 21st March: See more articles today from Deutsche Welle (in Romanian) and Culturebox (in French).

(Photo source) Ponta (left) is really not helping the situation. Yesterday he addressed the Minister of Culture during a cabinet meeting:

"You have the difficult task of attending an event which would honour Romania, especially invited to the Salon du Livre. For Romania, we should be proud of this status. The President of France will be present along with dozens of Romanian writers meriting respect. However, certain people, always the same ones, do not miss the opportunity to provoke scandal and ridicule Romania." Without naming them, he lashed out at the "political enemies who are used to washing their dirty linen before the European public - the worst thing one can do against Romania." 

He just doesn't get it, does he? Of course, a man who plagiarises (if that's not dirty linen, I don't know what is) couldn't possibly comprehend. He cannot understand that those cultural figures refusing to attend the Salon (which, I find, is an act of courage) are doing it FOR Romania, not AGAINST it, since everything he does is far from being for the country. As for the use of the words "political enemies", that sent a shiver down my spine... memories of years gone by? It sure feels that way.

In deciding against attending the Salon, Ponta has confirmed, perhaps unwittingly, how severe the attitude and opinion of Romania's writers and intellectuals have become - and how on target they are. A sign of inexperience and arrogance, IMHO.

Yesterday, both film director Radu Jude and choreographer Cosmin Manolescu spoke out in protest: Jude (in an official communiqué) in solidarity with Filip Florian after Marga's tirade against him and Manolescu (in a press release) in indignant condamnation at the way ICR was being run, demanding Marga's resignation.

Marga continues to minimise the boycott.

More as it happens...

(Photo source: ICR OFFF) BREAKING NEWS: The Salon du Livre opened its doors tonight for its 33rd show. An event of international repute, it is generally attended by approximately 30,000 trade visitors including book sellers, librarians and archivists wishing to update their knowledge on latest developments within the sector. Over 1,000 exhibitors take part annually to display their products and services, enabling one to buy on the spot. As well as books, the Salon du Livre also hosts translation events, talks and conferences.

All did not go quite according to plan tonight, however. A group of young artists united under the name ICR OFFF donned masks depicting absent authors Cartarescu, Liiceanu and Plesu, reports Digi 24, in protest against the current running of ICR and in support of the authors who stayed away. Things escalated to a head and the 'protesters' were removed by force by security guards, Madalina Alexe the Digi 24 reporter explained, who was pushed and almost had her camera broken - just minutes before President Hollande arrived at the Romanian section. According to Hotnews, ten people were involved - Romanians, French and one Japanese national. Apparently, they were held by the security guards for about an hour after which hey were asked to leave the Salon.

The news of the boycott along with its cause has had very little attention in France and thus, non-Romanian onlookers tonight probably had absolutely NO idea what on earth was going on... The Figaro, for example, gave two full pages to Barcelona and didn't mention Romania once. Some Romanian onlookers, however, were said to be 'offended' by the protest, amongst them Serge Celibidache (son of conductor Sergiu).

More on that as it happens...

According to the event programme, there should be a jazz concert going on right now performed by the Marius Preda Quartet and tomorrow is stuffed to the gills with excellent events. Oh, and I've just seen that Catherine Durandin is on the programme for Saturday directly after Lucian Boia and Ana Blandiana will be speaking in the afternoon.

Watch this space for more news...

(Photo source) 22nd March: Seems like Agerpres have told a pack of porkies regarding last night's so-called protest, misleading all those who were not present to see what happened first-hand (me too, had I not had info from ICR OFFF itself). The 'protesters' were NOT wearing 'masks' - a gross exaggeration. As you see from the photo (left), there were black and white pictures held up to faces. Masks? Mon oeil. Masks are attached fixedly to the head and have eyes for holes. see any? Nope.

Digi 24 reported 10 people last night (this is correct), and I for one would rather believe Madaline Alexe since she was right there, was shoved by the security guards who were excessively over-zealous to the extent that her camera was almost broken and she was pretty shaken up - probably because Francois Hollande was about to arrive and the security dudes didn't want any breeches or histrionics. See HERE also (in French). As for 'under the influence of alcohol' as reported by certain rags, not a bit of it. They were as sober as judges. The videos linked here attest to that.

According to Alexandra Barrault (who's she when she's at home?), as reported by Adevarul, these young people 'are known within the Romanian community in Paris as trouble makers'. Ah bon? And who is this Madame Barrault to make such a statement? I know one of 'these young people', a Romanian artist here in Paris, and she is far from being a trouble maker. Faaaar from it. Let me tell you something: On the day of Martisor, she made hundreds of Martisoare and went out into the streets with friends to give them to passers-by, sharing the joy and tenderness of this lovely festival with them - its background, its symbolism... does that sound like a trouble maker to you? No. She is a good, kind and decent person. Flamin' cheek. Why would anyone say such a thing? What do they have to gain? A load of piffle.

The group united under the name "ICR OFFF" are comprised of artists here in Paris. Contrary to what was reported by Agerpres, they were Romanian, French, German and Japanese (artist Azusa Kurokawa). For more, please read THIS article from Gandul where members of ICR Offf are interviewed, THIS from Le Courrier des Balkans and THIS by Luca Niculescu (of Digi 24) who gives his own accurate account via FB.

As you can see from THIS video  made by Café des Roumains, it WAS completely peaceful on the part of the 'protesters', but they were in fact hassled by other Romanians - see how Mihai Dobrin from the Toti Romani association yells at them. The so-called 'protesters' were doing nothing but stand there with the photos held up to their faces. There was NO chanting, NO trouble from THEM, NOTHING to merit the crock of bull reported by Agerpres and absolutely NOTHING to shame their country - that is done entirely by politicians and officials. They need no help whatsoever..

If we are to believe the likes of Agerpres, in which it is written that the 'protesters' do not deserve residence (in France) for that is only for respected artists, one would consider their action deplorable, tainting the name of Romania yet further. But it was NOT like that, and such reports should be taken with the condescension they deserve.

Tinerii purtau măşti cu chipurile lui Gabriel Liiceanu, Mircea Cărtărescu, Neagu Djuvara, Andrei Pleşu şi Victor Ponta. Aceştia sunt cunoscuţi pentru comportamentul lor scandalos în comunitatea românească din Paris, după cum a declarat doamna Alexandra Barrault, profesoară la o universitate pariziană", se spune în comunicatul ICR.

Citeste mai mult: adev.ro/mk23mg

23rd March: Not long returned from another afternoon spent at the Salon du Livre, Porte de Versailles, Paris - and do you know what? It was marvellous. A fascinating interview by French (of Romanian parents) prize-winning journalist (Libération), Marc Semo with Lucian Dan Teodorovici and Varjan Vosganian (whom I think took the place of Liiceanu on the programme) entitled 'Dévoiler le Goulag' in the CNL literary salon. Following that, I was spellbound (and a bit star-struck!) for an hour by the round table discussion, 'Poezia în spatele Zidului' with my very favourite poet Ana Blandiana, along with Mircea Dinescu, Dinu Flamând, Ion Muresan and interviewer Jean-Pierre Siméon. I really didn't want it to end... I even managed to get my copy of 'Les Saisons' signed by Ana Blandiana which was the highlight of my Salon. I have always liked her work so much (very successfully translated into both English and French) - and admired her greatly as a person, too. She is one of the few who NEVER compromised herself, no matter what the commie-style slandering tried (and continues to do so) to do to her reputation. She is simply a warm, caring human being who has stuck to her principles despite it all. A shame we can't clone her.

So many books, so many people. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was smiley, friendly, glad to be there (of course, I avoided Marga, N.Manolescu and anyone else I couldn't abide!!). And why were we there, anyway? Well, perhaps for some it was the occasion to be seen and able to name-drop at the next dinner party, and for others it was so as not to miss anything, but frankly, after a great deal of time spent in the Romanian section these last two days, I really do not care anymore - if that is the priority of certain individuals, that's their problem, not ours. Romanian LITERATURE was the honorary guest this weekend at stall R78. NOT politics, not revenge attacks, not slagging-off polemics nor other such histrionics since Mihai Dobrin's (and others) shameful outburst at the ICR OFFF artists on opening night. "LIT-E-RA-TURE!!" I kept thinking to myself. Yes, of course people talked about the whole ICR issue, and of course people gave their opinions, but there was a very strong feeling of "we are not here for that today - we must not smear Romania's reputation. We must not denigrate our country." I was proud to be there. Proud that my heart is Romanian even if my blood is not. And what a joy it was to hear the sound of the language I so miss all around me.

The queues to pay at the cash points organised by the FNAC were so long that sometimes one had to wait at least 10 minutes to be served. As I looked at what people were buying and struck up conversation with as many waiting in line to pay as I could (that is one of the purposes for the Salon du Livre after all - networking, n'est-ce pas), there were MANY French buyers absolutely delighted to find more Romanian authors translated at last. Popular sales (noted as I 'mingled'!) were Gabriela Adamesteanu's 'Situation provisoire' ('Provizorat'), 'La porte interdite' by Gabriel Liiceanu translated by Marie-France Ionesco (daughter of Eugen), 'Venu du temps dièse' ('Venea din timpul diez') by Bogdan Suceava, 'L'aile tatouée' ('Orbitor - aripa dreapta') by Mircea Cartarescu as well as plenty of Ana Blandiana, Mircea Dinescu, Princess Bibescu, Lucian Boia and Matei Vişniec from what I could see.

There were still far more books in the original Romanian than there were translations, but there certainly is progress in that department. I continue to wait for Andrei Plesu to be translated so that I can at last read him without requiring a dictionary every three words or so.

Along with the novels and history books were dictionaries, guide books, cookbooks, CDs, DVDs, poetry of course...oh, I could have played for hours.

No matter what may be happening in Romania right now, both in politics (I hear Blaga has won the election for PDL leader, with Udrea in second place and Monica Macovei in 3rd), ICR and anywhere else, no matter how outrageous or burlesque things are, Romania should be proud - and I mean really PROUD - of her presence and performance at the Salon du Livre this year. The section looks great to a non-Romanian eye with the big red tree in the middle of it which is eye-catching to say the least; the Brancusi-style tables, benches and stools; the generous amount of space between stalls so people can circulate comfortably and the organisation in general. To a Romanian, however, it is probably disappointing since it appears minimalist (not portraying the Romanian mentality in the least), the tree is impossible to explain (some said it was a hint at Brancusi but others said that if that's true, it's a failure!), the books are all low down and without posters or higher shelves at eye-level - it does look rather IKEA-ish. And of course, the indications that the stand is indeed for ROMANIA would need a magnifying glass to find. It is visible just once, vertically, on the far right of the section. I heard two French ladies ask "what stand is this?". No flags, no iie, no diddly-diddly. But perhaps there is a reason for all that. What do I know.... As I said, to the non-Romanian visitor, it's very pleasant.

In any case, there have been very interesting talks, some fascinating guests - and even if one could perhaps reckon that there were only 'minor' writers present, actually there were major ones, too: Ana Blandiana, Mircea Dinescu, Ion Muresan... they are pretty major to me, at least!

On the programme for tomorrow: Matei Visniec (now based in Paris, I understand), Norman Manea (a major writer, too, IMHO), Dumitru Tsepeneag (also living in Paris. Tsepeneag is extremely popular in Romania and known for his activities as a dissident after the communist party stripped him of his citizenship in 1975), Eugen Uricaru, Ana Blandiana once again, Marta Petreu (another of my favourites), historian Lucian Boia (another 'major'), Matei Cazacu and Dan Lungu. I won't be able to attend until the late afternoon, however - oh no! I'll miss Ana's talk, 'Poetry and Memory' and Matei Cazacu too, but will try to get there in time for Norman Manea's exposé on exiles at 16h.

LITERATURE. Not politics. I say it again. LITERATURE.

Tinerii purtau măşti cu chipurile lui Gabriel Liiceanu, Mircea Cărtărescu, Neagu Djuvara, Andrei Pleşu şi Victor Ponta. Aceştia sunt cunoscuţi pentru comportamentul lor scandalos în comunitatea românească din Paris, după cum a declarat doamna Alexandra Barrault, profesoară la o universitate pariziană", se spune în comunicatul ICR.

Citeste mai mult: adev.ro/mk23m

Comments

[Carmen Rodica]

me too... but maybe next time :)

[Sarah in Romania]

Ohhhhhhhhh!!! I didn't know tsepeneag was so known and I wasn't sure if Visniec counted for Romanians since he has left (well, you never know what people feel about that - some say 'good for him' and others...er...don't). He is certainly a very nice man.



Thank you so much for commenting as always Carmen. Wish you were here!

[Carmen Rodica]

Thank you, dear friend, for this FOILETON (column series - I think) of literature... and real life. Tsepeneag is a MAJOR writer and translator from/into French (Derrida, Robbe-Grillet among others !!!) and a MAJOR representative of anti-communist Romanian intellectuals. Visniec is a distinguished poet and playwright, now living in France (and having received a number of major international awards)- and a philosopher by training (a much better one than Liiceanu in my modest opinion). So - there you are! Great day for you tomorrow as well !!! Carmen

[Sarah in Romania]

Mersi, Rocky's Dad - used in today's update ;)

[Rocky's Dad]

http://www.dw.de/cine-mai-reprezint%C4%83-cultura-rom%C3%A2n%C4%83-la-paris/a-16686817