In conversation with Olivia Scher, our European Literary Map of London Writer-in-Residence Joanna Elmy and writer, artist and director, Larisa Faber Larisa Faber talk about London: journeys, languages, writing and cultures. This episode explores central themes of identity, belonging, and how London shapes and is shaped by its rich tapestry of stories.

European Literary Map of London: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-institute/lost-found-european-literary-map-london

Bulgarian-born author and journalist Joanna Elmy was our 23/24 inaugural Writer in Residence. Joanna’s first novel Born of Guilt, written during her years in university, received a prestigious Bulgarian prize for emerging literature in 2022 and was shortlisted for several other national awards. During her four-week stay at UCL (24 April – 22 May 2024), Joanna engaged with academics across faculties, and worked on her second novel which features London prominently and explores ‘cities of the world’ – a modern take on urban spaces partly inspired by Italo Calvino’s approach to writing the city.

Writer, director and actor Larisa Faber collaborated with UCL European Institute and the UCL Faculty of Arts and Humanities in the summer term of 2024, in the context of the European Literary Map of London project, and an ongoing partnership with EUNIC London, the European Literature Network and the European Writers’ Festival, curated by Rosie Goldsmith. Larisa worked to develop an irreverently multivocal text about the politics of seasonal vegetables – which will feature on the European Literary Map of London as the first Luxembourgish entry.