David Sedaris, the magician of humor, will join us on June 20 in Bucharest for an evening of reading, laughter and book signings. Sedaris, author or New York Times bestsellers published in ten million copies and translated into 29 languages, will read excerpts of his renowned essays, as well as unpublished work on stage at ARCUB Gabroveni (Sala Mare) in Bucharest. The performance will be followed by a Q&A session, drinks and a book signing session. You can register for the event here.

 

The event is co-hosted by Narator.

Made possible by NN.

With support from Aqua Carpatica and Sâmburești.

 

WHERE: ARCUB Gabroveni, Sala Mare, Str. Lipscani nr. 84-90

WHEN: Monday, June 20, 19:30 (Acces from 19:00)

Media partners: DoR (Decât o Revistă), Scena9, SUB25.

 

David Sedaris is probably the funniest, sharpest observer of certain social and relational oddities we can all relate to. It’s not completely surprising he became so perceptive to unique situations around him given that he’s an American of Greek origin, born in a family of six children in conservative North Carolina, who quickly in life realized he was gay. His collections of short stories and essays – such as Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day or Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls – became immediate bestsellers:

 

One of his essay collection is the reason for his Romanian visit. Me Talk Pretty One Day is David Sedaris’ second book translated and published in Romanian in the Narator series by Editura Publica. In it, Sedaris touches on a bunch of hilarious events in his and his quirky family’s lives, but inevitably plunges into the universal, profound and sometimes dark themes of who we are, who we become in time and how we react in situations outside our comfort zones. No one can evade his sharp vignettes: not his mother who towards the end of her life slips into alcoholism and depression; not his father, a skilled engineer who couldn’t find common grounds with any of his children; not his brothers and sisters – like Paul, the youngest, caustic sibling, a Southerner lacking any filter, adorable and exasperating all at once -, not Sedaris himself. The second part of the book (Deux) focuses on the narrator’s and his partner’s adventures following their move to France – an experience as bohemian as it was uncomfortable and ridiculous at times, especially when he’s trying to learn the language. And if Sedaris masters anything, it’s confronting the ridiculous with a wide smile and a friendly curiosity, until any sense of shame disappears and we’re no longer isolated by our insecurities, but laughing together with the author.

 

An evening with David Sedaris is presented by The Power of Storytelling, an annual conference built around the idea that stories can change our worlds. The only one of its kind in Eastern Europe, it brings together superstar storytellers in all fields – from media, to arts, to business – to show the potential of stories to connect people, to heal wounds, to move to action, and to drive change.

 

The sixth edition takes place October 14-15 in Bucharest and already gathered an amazing line-up of world renowned authors, illustrators, musicians and marketers. You can find out more about them here. Our partners for this year’s edition are Lateral, UniCredit Bank, NN România, Telekom and HBO.