From 17 to 19 April 2026, the Czech House in Belgrade will host the inaugural edition of the European literary festival “Book on the (S)tage”, organised by the EUNIC Serbia network and the publishing house Blum.
The festival aims to return contemporary European literature to the very centre of public life, fostering a vibrant dialogue between authors, publishers, and audiences. In this way, Belgrade is becoming a new meeting point for European literary scenes and a key platform for cultural exchange in the region.
A rich programme awaits visitors, going beyond the framework of a traditional festival. Over three days, visitors will be able to enjoy literary discussions, a professional programme, a book fair, and a special programme for children, as well as music concerts (On Tour, Romor, DJ Dorota Masłowska) and a slam poetry evening. Aleksandar Šurbatović from the publishing house Blum and the festival’s artistic director says that “Book on the (S)tage is a literary Olympics with a flavour of rock’n’roll – a place where European writers and readers can finally look each other in the eye and see what connects them and what makes them unique.”
Robert Kasab, Director of Collegium Hungaricum, the presiding institution of EUNIC, stated: “Collegium Hungaricum Belgrade warmly recommends the ‘Book on the Stage’ festival to everyone, young and old alike, who are interested in contemporary and classical literature. We believe it is important to present European, Hungarian, and Serbian literature in an accessible and enjoyable way. All those who wish to get acquainted with our literary life are most welcome!”
The festival will feature numerous authors from across Europe: Norman Ohler (Germany), Małgorzata Rejmer (Poland), Dorota Masłowska (Poland), Martin Vopěnka (Czech Republic), Ljuba Arnautović (Austria), Mojca Kumerdej (Slovenia), Morten Pape (Denmark), Andrea Bajani (Italy), Franjo Nagulov (Croatia), Lejla Cato (Sweden), Rene Karabash (Bulgaria), as well as Serbian authors Enes Halilović, Darko Tuševljaković, Olivera Zulović, Bojan Vasić, Marko Čudić, Jasmina Ahmetagić, Milan Tripković, and Aleksandar Šurbatović.
As part of the festival, a book sales fair will also be held, featuring more than 20 local publishers, where visitors will be able to purchase books at special fair prices. All festival programmes are free of charge and open to the public.
(Nedeljnik, 06.04.2026)
https://www.nedeljnik.rs/knjiga-na-sceni-prvi-evropski-knjizevni-festival-dolazi-u-beograd/