Search results: Day of Hungarian Poetry

A group of (probably) Hungarian refugees arrive at Croydon Airport on 21 December 1956.

Extra Hungariam — On the Intellectual Life of the Hungarian Exiles after 1956

The 1956ers were mostly young and eager to prove their worth…A child immigrant, George Szirtes is now a well-known British poet, winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize. A young medical student who was offered a place in Oxford’s famous Merton College after his arrival, later became one of the world’s leading molecular cardiologists. György Radda went on to head the British Medical Research Council, and on his retirement in 2000 the Queen made him a Knight of the British Empire.

A still from the video animation by Dávid Ariel Szauder titled Petőfi Poesieversum, 2023.

AI-Generated Animation with Sándor Petőfi’s Poetry at Berlin’s Festival of Lights

The Festival of Lights is traditionally one of Berlin’s most spectacular community events in autumn. This year marks the 19th edition of the ten-day festival, with nightly projections taking place at 43 locations, including several iconic landmarks. The Hungarian Cultural Institute is participating with a partly AI-generated video animation based on the most popular poems of iconic 19th century poet Sándor Petőfi.

Writer and literary historian Gyula Gombos in 1995 in Budapest.

The Prophet of the Third Way — Hungarian Writer Gyula Gombos

The work of Gombos, both as a writer and a literary historian, is still undeservedly understudied. As one of his admirers quite aptly wrote of him: ‘His place in the hierarchy of “populist” thinkers and writers is not in the second, but in the first rank, in the company of those whose intellectual and creative achievements can be considered particularly valuable and significant.’

The statue of Bálint Balassi in Kodály Körönd, Budapest.

The Life of Bálint Balassi, a Classic Figure in Hungarian Poetry

Baron Bálint Balassi de Kékkő et Gyarmat is celebrated as the pioneer of Hungarian romantic poetry, a valiant soldier, a daring lover and an accomplished polyglot. His life and achievements embody the true spirit of the Renaissance, and read like a tale of romance, valour, and fighting spirit.

Frigyes Karinthy, the Comedic Mastermind of Hungarian Literature, Was Born 136 Years Ago Today

Karinthy is best remembered for his comedic masterpieces, such as the collection of literary parodies, Így írtok ti (That’s How You Write!), and the collection of sketches about secondary school life, Tanár úr, kérem! (Please, Sir!). Every year, the best comedian in Hungary is rewarded with the Karinthy Ring. However, the man himself was not the exuberant, fun-seeking personality his best-known works may suggest.

Diminished But Unbroken — The Fate of Hungarians Living along the River Garam

What does the lower reach of the River Garam mean to Hungarians? For some, it is just a region of the Uplands, for others, a beautiful, wide, flat, and fertile valley surrounded by hills, while many people do not even know where to look on the map when they hear its name. For ethnic Hungarian local historian Gábor Juhász, it represents his homeland, a place where his ancestors had lived for hundreds of years.