Translated Hungarian plays to be brought to life in book launch at Salford University

An academic is hosting an event in MediaCity to launch her new book which translates five celebrated Hungarian plays into English for the first time.

Dr Szilvi Naray, Lecturer in Drama and Translation Studies at Salford University, is inviting all to the unveiling of her book on Thursday March 7 in the Digital Performance Lab on the university’s MediaCity campus.

The launch event of the book, Plays from Contemporary Hungary: ‘Difficult Women’ and Resistant Dramatic Voices, will begin with a short reading and a brief talk about why translation matters.

Through this event, Dr Naray aims to break “down existing prejudices that British people have about Eastern European literature and theatre.”

This will then be followed up with a Q&A discussion between Dr Naray and Ursula Hurley, Professor of Life Writing at the University, about the book and the characters within its stories.

Dr Naray, who also runs the theatre company Ignition Stage, said: “Translation is a way of travelling abroad without leaving the country. It’s a way of opening up ourselves to others. Books in this country are very insular with only 3 per cent of texts translated whilst in Germany and Italy, it is 80 per cent.

“Inspired by the play’s micro-budget productions, this edited collection provides students, readers and small theatre companies alike a chance to engage with these witty, politically irreverent stories of powerful women and explore what it means to be a family unit, all the while pushing against Hungary’s dominant hegemony.”

Each of the five plays are written by some of Hungary’s most prolific and commercially successful dramatic voices who have each been in direct conflict with Viktor Orbán’s Hungarian Government.

Dr Naray says that the book is “a well overdue, essential collection that offers a microcosmic lens for understanding the paradox that today’s Hungary exemplifies.”

She added: “These plays reflect what Hungary has been going through from the change of regime, from Soviet to free market to Orbán. There’s extreme forms of capitalism, absurdist events, anti-heroes obsessed with climbing the social ladder that experience tragedy and strong leading female protagonists.”

The launch takes place from 6.30pm until 8pm on Thursday March 7 with complimentary wine served.

 Booking is essential and you can get your free ticket here.