Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu will visit the United Kingdom between 18 and 20 November 2025, as part of a literary tour marking the publication of the English edition of Blinding: The Left Wing, the first volume of the Orbitor trilogy. Translated by Sean Cotter and recently released by the prestigious publisher Penguin, the novel brings Romanian literature into one of the most acclaimed and selective international literary collections. The tour, organized by Penguin with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, includes three events in Bristol and London.
Tour schedule
The first event will take place on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, at 6 PM, at Bookhaus Bristol, one of the city’s most respected independent literary venues. Cărtărescu will be in conversation with Darran McLaughlin, the bookstore’s manager and co-founder of the Bristol Transformed festival.
On Wednesday, 19 November, at 7 PM, the author will appear at Waterstones King’s Road in London for a discussion with Leo Robson, a renowned critic known for his nuanced work on contemporary fiction.
The central event of the tour will be held on Thursday, 20 November, at 7 PM, at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London. Cărtărescu will talk with cultural journalist and editor Miriam Bălănescu, who has contributed to The Guardian, BBC Culture, The Economist, The Independent, Dazed, i Newspaper and New Statesman.
Together with Penguin, the Romanian Cultural Institute in London celebrates this new edition, which further strengthens the presence of Romanian literature on the global stage. Earlier this year, Mircea Cărtărescu was longlisted for the Booker Prize for his novel Solenoid, a recognition of the power and originality of his writing.
Photo: Observator News
