Composer, writer, and film director Zülfü Livaneli is considered one of the most influential authors and intellectuals of his time. He is among the most widely read Turkish writers in the world, and his songs have been adopted by movements, rallies, and democratic demonstrations across Turkey for decades. He will discuss his artistic work at the crossroads of music, literature, and cinema with Czech journalist Petr Vizina.

Zülfü Livaneli is a Turkish writer, musician, film director, and public intellectual. He is one of the most widely read contemporary Turkish authors, and his novels have been translated into dozens of languages. His narratives often intertwine the lives of his characters with the political and historical turning points of modern Turkey. Books of his published in English include Memory of Snow (2001), Bliss (2002), The Last Island (2008), and Serenade for Nadia (2011). He has received numerous awards for his literary work, including the Yunus Nadi Literary Award and the Orhan Kemal Novel Prize. He is also highly regarded in Turkey as a singer-songwriter. He has written over two hundred songs, many of which have become folk classics, and his compositions have been performed by the likes of Joan Baez, Maria Farantouri, and Udo Lindenberg. His songs often express solidarity with people affected by political upheavals and repression in Turkey. His work has long been associated with the defence of human rights, secular democracy, and criticism of authoritarianism. Because of his political views, he was imprisoned in the 1970s and subsequently spent twelve years in exile.