For the 9th time, Ljubljana plays host to the ‘Literature of the World – Fabula 2012’ literature festival from 27 February to 10 March 2012.

The ‘Fabula 2012’ literature festival brings to Ljubljana top-class literature, prominent writers and an interesting accompanying book programme, and is this year also supported by the City of Ljubljana. The festival will feature major authors from Slovenia and the rest of the world, who will discuss their literary activities and read from their works at literary readings at the Cankarjev dom club. The festival guests are writers Hanif Kureishi, Leena Krohn, Amitav Ghosh, Mihail Šiškin, Dušan Čater, Mojca Kumerdej, Andrej Skubic, Suzana Tratnik and Goran Vojnović. Their visits will be accompanied by publications of their works in Slovene translation.

This year’s programme also sees, on Tuesday 28 February 2012, participation from the first writers, Ali Amar and Zineb El Rhazui (both from Morocco), to have been welcomed to Ljubljana as part of the ICORN network of shelters for persecuted writers.

Besides literary performances by guest authors which will, as each year so far, constitute the central festival events, a diverse programme has also been prepared targeting the broadest possible generations of readers.

This year's professional focus of the festival is on socially committed literature, which constitutes a significant part of the global as well as Slovenian literature of the last two decades. A round table discussion with acknowledged Slovene experts will also consider the period of socially committed prose between the two world wars.

An international symposium will be devoted to Franz Kafka, one of the most interesting and provocative classics of world literature. His works were the bases for films by globally renowned directors, such as Orson Welles, while his characters were acted by major stars.

A part of the programme will be devoted to the youngest audience who will be led into the magical world of reading and books with the help of fairly tale narrators. Secondary school students will be invited to write short stories, the best of which will of course be awarded prizes.

Naturally festival organisers have not overlooked those prevented from visiting the festival due to difficult life circumstances. Thus well-known theatre actors are to be sent on visits to various hospitals, homes for the elderly and crisis centres.

The ‘Literature of the World - Fabula 2012’ literature festival programme and further details about participating authors can be found on the official website.