Books

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest invites the public to the launch of the book “The Bride's Time and Her Gown” by Gavril Pătru, a special event that complements the theatrical world of the play of the same name. The launch will take place on April 2 and 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the foyer of the Pictura Hall, immediately following the preview performances of the play. The book brings to life the same familiar world created by Gavril Pătru: a vibrant village in Oltenia, full of humor, tension, and poetry, where the characters’ destinies intertwine between tradition and contemporary reality. The public will have the opportunity to meet the author, discover the behind-the-scenes of the creative process, and get autographs. Gavril Pătru is an actor, playwright, and director, one of the distinctive voices of contemporary Romanian theater, noted for a style that blends the authenticity of vernacular language with modern dramatic structures and a unique poetic sensibility. His texts explore the contemporary rural world, with a special focus on the Oltenia region, which he reconstructs on stage with humor, irony, and depth. His characters are recognizable, vivid, and often contradictory, captured in pivotal moments where tradition, faith, and everyday reality collide. Among his best-known works is Ghosts and Dandelions, based on the collection …of Oltenia and A Bad Play, which won the “Marin Sorescu” Award for Debut Book of the Year 2022, presented by the Bucharest – Drama Branch of the Romanian Writers’ Union. The continuation of this universe, “The Watch and the Bride’s Shirt,” is part of a larger project—the “Oltenia trilogy”—currently in development. Alongside his work as an actor, Gavril Pătru directs his own plays, creating productions in which a brisk pace, humor, and dramatic tension coexist in a recognizable balance. His writing stands out for its authentic oral quality, visual power, and an ability to transform seemingly mundane details into situations laden with symbolism. The world he creates is one in which laughter and drama are not mutually exclusive, but rather complement each other, in a profoundly human register.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest invites the public to the launch of the book “The Bride's Time and Her Gown” by Gavril Pătru, a special event that complements the theatrical world of the play of the same name. The launch will take place on April 2 and 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the foyer of the Pictura Hall, immediately following the preview performances of the play. The book brings to life the same familiar world created by Gavril Pătru: a vibrant village in Oltenia, full of humor, tension, and poetry, where the characters’ destinies intertwine between tradition and contemporary reality. The public will have the opportunity to meet the author, discover the behind-the-scenes of the creative process, and get autographs. Gavril Pătru is an actor, playwright, and director, one of the distinctive voices of contemporary Romanian theater, noted for a style that blends the authenticity of vernacular language with modern dramatic structures and a unique poetic sensibility. His texts explore the contemporary rural world, with a special focus on the Oltenia region, which he reconstructs on stage with humor, irony, and depth. His characters are recognizable, vivid, and often contradictory, captured in pivotal moments where tradition, faith, and everyday reality collide. Among his best-known works is Ghosts and Dandelions, based on the collection …of Oltenia and A Bad Play, which won the “Marin Sorescu” Award for Debut Book of the Year 2022, presented by the Bucharest – Drama Branch of the Romanian Writers’ Union. The continuation of this universe, “The Watch and the Bride’s Shirt,” is part of a larger project—the “Oltenia trilogy”—currently in development. Alongside his work as an actor, Gavril Pătru directs his own plays, creating productions in which a brisk pace, humor, and dramatic tension coexist in a recognizable balance. His writing stands out for its authentic oral quality, visual power, and an ability to transform seemingly mundane details into situations laden with symbolism. The world he creates is one in which laughter and drama are not mutually exclusive, but rather complement each other, in a profoundly human register.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

"Eulogy for my people", beyond being a volume of poetry, it is a ritual of memory, a rewriting in verse of a personal and collective genealogy, in which the family is not only an intimate space, but the deepest form of resistance and identity in the face of oblivion and unrelenting history. Each poem becomes a testimony - about trauma, exile, genocide and the hope of a people. Each name invoked comes to life, transforming memory into a form of presence. The volume lies on the borderline between document and myth, between the chronicle of a family and the effigy of a nation, carrying a poetics of absence and painful continuity. Varujan Vosganian interweaves a profound meditation on heritage - of blood, name, language, but above all of pain. "Eulogy for my people" is, in the end, a book of recognition - of those who were, and of those who are still through them. Playing the duduk live: Arsen Petrosyan Book reading & autographs: Varujan Vosganian Will take the floor: Bedros Horasangian and Paul Cernat Free access! The event will be followed by an autograph session. We look forward to welcoming you!   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

We invite you on Monday, December 5, 2022, at 12.30 p.m. to the "Rinocerul" Magazine Awards Gala, which will take place in the Atelier Hall of the NTB. The non-conformist publication "Rinocerul" has already established itself in a field where the visual is preferred to the scripted, being a mirror of the Romanian contemporary theatrical phenomenon that captures and reflects an artistic micro universe addressed to all lovers of dramatic art. Once again this year, "Rinocerul" magazine rewards the dedication to the Romanian theatrical art and dramaturgy of those who made us smile and live through the imaginary worlds of the magnificent performances. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the "Spirit Românesc Pro – Arte şi Caritate" Foundation from Bucharest, in partnership with the Bucharest Branch for Drama of the Romanian Writers' Union and the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre Bucharest, awards Romanian cultural values for theatrical productions from 2021 to 2022, during the 3rd edition of the "Rinocerul" Awards Gala, which will take place on Monday, December 5, 2022, at 12.30 pm, at the Atelier Hall of NTB. Host: Dinu Grigorescu. Duration of the event: 3 hours. Admission is free.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

We invite you on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 1.00 pm, to the presentation of the two theatre books, Recviem, signed by Radu F. Alexandru (Academiei Publishing House 2022), an event that will take place in the presence of the author, in the Tapestry Foyer on the floor of the "Ion Caramitru" Hall of NTB. Radu F. Alexandru is, at present, not only one of the most played contemporary Romanian authors, but also one of the most published - a remarkable performance in a context where the dramatic genre does not generally enjoy the attention of publishers. With a keen sense of responsibility towards his own literary posterity, aware of the ephemeral nature of stage performances, Radu F. Alexandru has always been concerned with marking out his writing career through collections of dramatic texts that he has supervised with extreme exigency, periodical "barometers" of his portfolio of theatrical writings. Naturally, this prodigious career is now crowned by the most extensive collection of plays signed by Radu F. Alexandru, under the title Recviem, bringing together, in 2 volumes and 1358 pages, 22 plays that represent, as the author says "...my entire journey in the fascinating world of theatre". The volumes are published in an exceptional graphic form by the prestigious Academiei Publishing House. The event for the launch of this work will take place on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 1 pm, in the presence of the author, in the Tapestry Foyer on the floor of the "Ion Caramitru" Hall of NTB. Presented by Prof. univ. Dr. Răzvan Voncu, editor-in-chief of "România literară" magazine, Prof. Dr. Manuela Cernat, UNATC, film critic and Dinu Grigorescu, editor-in-chief of "Rinocerul" magazine, playwright. Here is an excerpt from the author's argument, which accompanies and justifies this editorial endeavor: "I read all the pieces I wrote and, at the end, I felt a satisfaction that, I admit, I had not anticipated. What I have read is theatre. And it represents me today in equal measure to the way it has done over the time it has faced. Yes, I think it was worth writing and inviting as many people as possible to reflect with me. As many readers as possible. And viewers.(…) All that I have felt and allowed myself to put down on paper in this confession is the support I believe I am entitled to give myself in the belief that I have walked a path of my own. Even more uplifting than these lines I hope will be the feeling that everyone who reads "Recviem" will have. I am sure I will not disappoint them." Last but not least, those interested will have the opportunity to purchase this exceptional publication and attend the book signing session that will conclude the event. The entrance is free (through the foyer of the "Ion Caramitru" Hall)   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

The foyer of the Pictura Hall of NTB, will host on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 7 pm, in the presence of the author, the release of the book The Slave of Success. The Political Life of Victor Eftimiu Under Six Constitutions, Humanitas 2022, signed by Prof. Univ. Dr. Cristian Preda. The date and venue of the event were not chosen by chance: on the same evening, Victor Eftimiu's play, The Man Who Saw Death, will be performed at the Pictura Hall of NTB at 8 pm. The audience who will watch the performance will also be able to participate in the presentation of this book, in the presence of the author, "full of data, information and insights, of twists of situations, portraits of the era and mirrors directed towards the present (which) conquers from the first pages, inviting to a new reflection on the duplicities and metamorphoses of success in literature and politics"- as the writer Tatiana Niculescu* defines it in the recommendation on the fourth cover of the book. Iulia Popovici, Ioan Stanomir and Radu Vancu* will be the speakers at the event, moderated by Ovidiu Nahoi, editor-in-chief of Radio France International Romania, and Marius Bodochi, the well-known actor of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre, will illustrate it with a reading of an excerpt from Victor Eftimiu's Confessions. If we look at the biography of Victor Eftimiu, who "had not only had a vast oeuvre, but also a fabulous life", as Cristian Preda demonstrates, we find that the playwright, poet, prose writer, journalist, who is the main character of the book, was - on three occasions (1920 - 1922, January - July 1930 and 1944 - 1945) – the director of the National Theatre, which he led with grace, leaving behind him a series of achievements, some of which still stand testimony today: busts and paintings of great playwrights and actors, executed by outstanding artists of the time, the publication "National Theatre Magazine", the collection "National Theatre Library". It was therefore natural for the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre to have the honor to host, in one of its most beautiful spaces, the foyer of the Pictura Hall, the release of a book that reconstructs, from multiple angles, the political and intellectual biography of a great personality of the Romanian culture, bringing "before readers a Romania that has gone through two world wars, six Constitutions, four kings, two republics, popular and socialist, and a totalitarian regime of Soviet origin. The history of Victor Eftimiu's meticulously constructed career is also the history of institutions, mentalities and the writers' guild over more than 70 years" (Tatiana Niculescu).   *Prof. Cristian Preda, political scientist, professor of political science, dean of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest. Ovidiu Nahoi, journalist, editor-in-chief of Radio France International Romania. Iulia Popovici, journalist, theatre and film critic, performing arts curator. Prof. Univ. Dr. Ioan Stanomir, literary critic, publicist, political scientist, professor of constitutional law at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Bucharest. Radu Vancu, poet, prose writer, essayist and translator, lecturer at "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu. President of PEN Romania. Tatiana Niculescu, writer, former editor and programme producer, and then editor-in-chief‑of the Romanian section of the BBC World Service in London and Bucharest.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

Saturday, November 30th, 2019, from 5 pm, in the Media Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest, actor Constantin Dinulescu launches his dialogue-book My World, My Encounters ... together with a carefully hand-written dedication: "To my audience and my readers, a modest attempt to counteract oblivion”. The following will talk about the book and actor: the critics Ileana Lucaciu and Ion Parhon, the publicist Dan Ciachir, friends, colleagues and close friends of the actor, and of course the author of these dialogues, carried out with Adrian and Claudiu Christescu (moderators of the event). Lively conversations, dialogues that are read breathlessly, covering a rich sentimental area, from the childhood of the great actor, with his hometown and his family, going through his apprenticeship years, to the Theatre Institute with his teachers, the beginning of his career in Iaşi and the completion of the profession on the stages of the National Theatreof Bucharest. Fascinating memories and stories from the past, animated by the personalities of the time, from the 68 years on stage and almost nine decades of life. Commenting on one of the actor's top creations, that of "Troubled Waters" by Lucian Blaga, at the "Lucian Blaga" International Festival in Sebeş, in 2018, critic Doina Modola wrote: "All this amount of traits and happenings radiate overwhelmingly from the creature of Constantin Dinulescu, who combines the stage with his bright, luminous presence, seemingly emerging from another world. His ample, penetrating voice, loaded with years and vibrant resonances, seems to be wandering beyond times, into times out of mind. ”You will find the entire commentary in the dialogue-book that appeared this year at Delfin publishing house.” Admission is free, within the available places.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On November 15th, 2019, you are expected at the fourth edition of the Paladin Book Club, where we will tell the story of the SF novel "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury (translation from English by Mihai-Dan Pavelescu). The meeting takes place at Librarium NTB starting from 7:00 p.m., and the discussion will be moderated by Liviu Szoke, blogger, reader and translator. Free entrance within the available seats! To register, please send an e-mail to beatrice.mituleci@editura-art.ro. Synopsis "The Martian Chronicles": The promise of a new beginning urges people to leave a world on the brink of destruction and colonize the Red Planet, bringing along their deepest desires, but also the ancestral fears, deeply rooted in the consciousness of humanity. Mars is shaped by the preconceptions of astronauts and colonists who explore it and project their fantasies upon the planet, creating a civilization that will help them remember the one left behind. Whether it is telling the story of an earthling, a Martian or a simple house, Bradbury unmasks the ambitions, weaknesses and ignorance of the human species in a strange and fascinating world to which man does not belong. The rockets came like locusts, swarming and descending in swirls of purple smoke. And from the rockets people ran with hammers in their hands, they wanted to change that strange world, to give a familiar look to the place, to remove all the oddities.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

You are most welcome on November 14th, 2019, from 7:00 pm, at  NTB Librarium, with a unique exhibition focusing on Constantin Lungeanu, with photos from his personal archive, posters from the interwar period and many other surprises. At the same time, director Mihai Lungeanu, his son, will follow the thread of time and share moments from Constantin Lungeanu's life. Ion Vasilescu's songs "Let me show you Bucharest by night" or "Let us meet on Saturday night" have crossed the 20th century in many famous performances as musical brands of Bucharest, but does anyone nowadays remember the name of the one who released them? Constantin Lungeanu sang them for the first time, on the stage of the Alhambra theatre. His voice wrote a major page in the history of the Romanian variety theatre during the interwar period, and his acting talent and personal charm are testified by the first Romanian films, as well as by the presence in the cast of historical films produced after 1960. Musical, theatre and film actor, student of Lucia Sturdza Bulandra, Constantin Lungeanu , for a decade, has made a career in theatre and film in the dynamic world of Paris, and has also conquered the hearts of the audience with a warm voice and good vocal range. He returned to the country after 1934 and established his fame as a star of the Alhambra theatre, being often invited to the stages of other private theatres in Bucharest. However, his international destiny was blocked by the bureaucracy of a controversial regime, which refused his departure for Hollywood, where he had been called for qualities that had recommended him for the film musical. Even if the collective memory did not retain and emphasize his name, Constantin Lungeanu remains a complex artist and a distinct personality, who cannot be overlooked, when we talk about the evolution of the Romanian inter-war musical. "Path that leads to Bucharest ..." state, almost conclusively for this destiny, the first verses of the hit of the Bucharest of yore, sung for the first time by Constantin Lungeanu. The paths of the theatre, film and music affectionately connected him to the two big cities where he left his fingerprint of talent, building a unique artistic profile, which we evoke in the beginning of an inspired programme of artistic recoveries.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On November 12th, 2019 we meet with the founders of the beloved blog Literature on Heels, Milica Dragan and Iasmina Coman, as well as with writer Lucian Ciuchita, at the second edition of the Book Club - Literature on Heels, where we will discuss the novel "250 Kilometers and a Century of Memories" by Lucian Ciuchita, from Libris publishing house. We are waiting for you on November 12th, 2019, starting from 6:30 pm, at NTB Librarium. Admission is free within the available seats! Synopsis "250 Kilometers and a Century of Memories":250 Kilometers and a Century of Memories is a family chronicle that spans 100 years. A special novel that is released in the very "Centenary Year", a wonderful story about the incredible adventures of a Romanian family.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu