Once again, Libri and the MOL – New Europe Foundation are drawing attention to the most significant creators and iconic works of Central European literature. Through their collaboration, readers can discover a wide range of classical and lesser-known authors—from Mór Jókai to Mór Bán, from Bohumil Hrabal to Stanisław Lem. The 10 featured titles will be available throughout October on the new releases shelves in 5 Libri bookstores in Budapest and 5 in the countryside.
Mór Jókai, Sándor Márai, Mór Bán, András Visky, Franz Kafka, Bohumil Hrabal, Stanisław Lem, Petra Hulová, Anton Hykisch, and Jozef Karika—these are the Central European authors whose popular and lesser-known works readers can now explore more deeply thanks to the joint recommendation of Libri and the MOL – New Europe Foundation.
As part of this new initiative, books by well-known Central European authors from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia will be in focus at 10 Libri bookstores: in Budapest at Mammut, Allee, Etele Plaza, Árkád, and Duna Plaza shopping centers, and in Debrecen, Kecskemét, Győr, Szeged, and Eger in the countryside. The featured titles, marked with the MOL – New Europe Foundation’s eye-catching stickers and accompanied by free bookmarks, will be displayed on the stores’ new release walls.
In Central Europe, literature has always been more than storytelling—these novels intertwine historical memory, social tensions, and the boundary situations of human existence. While Kafka, Márai, and Karika explore the depths of existential anxiety, mortality, and fear, Bán Mór and Jókai Mór evoke national memory and the myth of a glorious past. The stories of Hrabal, Hulová, and Visky search for ways in which ordinary people can survive under tyranny and oppression, while Stanisław Lem examines the relationship between humanity and technology in his humorous and satirical fiction.
“Humor and satire, everyday struggles and heroic perseverance—these all characterize the literature of our broader environment, the Central European region. The worlds created in these books feel familiar to us Hungarians, yet they also invite us to explore the cultures of our neighboring countries. Our collaboration with the MOL – New Europe Foundation aims precisely to bring the classic and lesser-known masterpieces of Hungary and the region to as many readers as possible,” said Orsolya Stefanie Ludvig, Libri’s Marketing and Communications Director.
“The MOL – New Europe Foundation launched its AGORA program this summer to support cultural initiatives that bring the Central European spirit to life. Our funded projects draw from our shared historical heritage, creating opportunities for dialogue, creativity, and cross-border collaboration across the region. In October, we are also strengthening our regional presence in the visual arts, while our Central European book selection available at Libri offers readers inspiring encounters with new authors and their stories,” emphasized Erzsébet Lávich, Managing Director of the MOL – New Europe Foundation.
As part of their ongoing collaboration, the featured books will be available from October 1 to 31 in Libri’s 5 Budapest and 5 countryside bookstores.
Featured titles:
Mór Bán: Hunyadi – Libri Special Edition (edge-painted)
Bohumil Hrabal: I Served the King of England
- Petra Hulová: Apatolvaj
- Anton Hykisch: Régi idők örömei
- Mór Jókai: Erdély aranykora
- Franz Kafka: Before the Law – and other short stories
- Jozef Karika: Fear
- Stanislaw Lem: The Cyberiad
- Sándor Márai: Embers
- András Visky: Kitelepítés / Illegalisták
