Please note that this event is not suitable for our English-speaking only audiences, as no translation from Russian will be provided on this occasion. As part of our efforts to cater for our varied audiences and bring in a diversity of voices, some of our events now take an intimate chamber format and are conducted in Russian only.

Libris with Liberov is a series of intimate, thought-provoking talks where literature becomes a living conversation. Guided by Roma Liberov’s personal choices and passions, each evening opens a new door into the world of Russian authors.

As part of the Libris with Liberov series, Roma Liberov returns to one of the writers who has been closest to him – Sergei Dovlatov.

This September marks the 85th anniversary of the birth of Dovlatov – one of the most beloved and distinctive voices of Russian literature. Born in Ufa in 1941 and raised in Leningrad, Dovlatov worked as a journalist and writer, but was unable to publish his fiction in the Soviet Union. His writing circulated through samizdat and abroad, and in 1979 he emigrated to the United States. In New York, he finally found the literary freedom and recognition that had eluded him at home. He died in 1990, aged just 48.

The conversation will take the form of a letter – an imagined, intimate address to Dovlatov across time. What would we tell him today? What would he make of the world we inhabit? And what might his mixture of irony, melancholy, honesty and laughter tell us about our own moment?

Liberov has a long-standing connection with Dovlatov and made the film Written by Sergei Dovlatov, based on the writer’s life and work.

This will be an evening about Dovlatov the writer, the émigré, the observer and the man – and about why, decades after his death, we still feel the need to write back to him.

Roma Liberov is the CEO of WE EXIST! FOUNDATION, a film director, producer and screenwriter, known for his innovative documentary films that blend animation, puppetry, and archival materials to bring Russian literary figures to life. Through his work, Liberov has dedicated himself to preserving and reimagining Russian literary heritage for contemporary audiences. Liberov regularly lectures internationally, captivating audiences with his ability to make classic authors speak in a fresh, urgent, and deeply personal voice.

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