The picturesque Vylyan Terrace hosted a discussion led by Krisztián Nyáry—one of this year’s guests of honour at the Ördögkatlan Festival—on a very familiar topic to him. As one of the leaders of the Book Capital programme, he has been following the production and publication of the Grand Novel Budapest with particular interest. The book was not only one of the highlights of the 150th anniversary of the unification of the capital but also of last year’s Christmas season, with its third edition currently on sale.

Two authors, Noémi Kiss, the author of the District 16 chapter, and György Dragomán, who wrote the last story on Soroksár, were the guests at the sold-out discussion, together with the programme’s initiator, Máté Gáspár. The authors not only talked about their connections with the districts but also gave the audience an insight into the workshop secrets of the work, which requires special cooperation and did not hide their initial reservations about it.

The lively discussion—rich in anecdotes and not without scratchy statements—revealed the process of the book’s creation and also touched upon the adaptations that will follow in the summer and early autumn, as Noémi Kiss’ work will be brought to life by the Willany Leó contemporary dance group in the garden of the Erzsébetliget Theatre in mid-September. Participants suggested that other cities could also use this as an exciting model for their stories or that the Ördögkatlan—approaching its 20th anniversary—could also deserve its own Grand Novel.