The Morometes 60: The Morometes Go Digital

Two years after Stalin’s death, the relaxation of ideological grip, however timid and short, made possible the publication of a remarkable novel that would be hailed not only as one of the timeless masterpieces of Romanian modern letters, but also as one of the most poignant readings of Romania’s cultural identity DNA. The year was 1955 and the author, a tormented young writer who had been almost lost after the brutal imposition of communism, was Marin Preda. The book told the story of a peasant family – the Morometes – revolving around a towering, Socrates-like patriarch and desperately trying to survive the vagaries of history and its own moral dissolution.

Unanimously considered an instant classic from the very beginning, the saga of the Morometes has enjoyed a wide international circulation thanks to its numerous translations. To mark the jubilee, the Romanian Cultural Institute is proud to bring some of its memorable scenes to the digital age as an invitation to discover the whole version of the 1957 English translation, hosted in the vaults of the British Library. The event will be accompanied by a conversation on Marin Preda’s legacy in Romania and Britain, featuring writer and academic Caius Dobrescu and renowned thespian Jack Klaff.

This event is part of ‘The Morometes 60: The Jubilee of a Masterpiece’, a celebratory programme that revisits the interplaying worlds of Marin Preda and his memorable characters through film, theatre, photography, and talks.