The poets Marie Iljašenko and Adam Borzič will engage in a discussion with students, followed by an experiential workshop using visual materials from current exhibitions and the Narrative 4 methodology, which focuses on developing empathy through sharing stories. The discussion will touch on themes of humanity, nature, and visions of the future as reflected in the poetry collections of both authors and in Adam Borzič’s essay “Spiritualita posvátné země” (The Spirituality of the Sacred Land). The programme includes a short poetry reading by the authors.

During the FALL festival, school groups will have a unique opportunity to take part in discussions with selected Czech and foreign writers who will share, among other things, how their own life stories are reflected in their work. The accompanying educational programme is inspired by the methodology of the global project Narrative 4 and focuses on developing empathy through sharing stories.

Storytelling, as it is used in the Narrative 4 methodology and DOX’s educational programmes, allows us to experience the sharing of stories with another person in a way that seems simple at first glance – listening and retelling. And there is power in simplicity. Colum McCann, a world-renowned Irish writer and founder of Narrative 4, has named this concept “radical empathy”, and it helps foster understanding wherever people experience life differently and see the world from different points of view.

The foundation of the experiential programme is the participants’ own authentic stories – and authenticity is essential. The personal story, a childhood experience, should be on the topic of “transformation” and should be no more than five minutes long. And because it is meant to be shared, each participant can decide whether to choose a story that is sad, happy, serious, or light-hearted. Participants will prepare their stories in advance.

It is also possible to attend the discussion without taking part in the educational programme.

Adam Borzič is a Czech poet, essayist, and psychotherapist. He has long explored the connections between literature, spirituality, and humanistic psychology. He has published a number of poetry collections, including Počasí v Evropě (The Weather in Europe, 2013), Orfické linie (Orphic Lines, 2015), Západo-východní zrcadla (West-East Mirrors, 2018), Legendy (Legends, 2021), and Paví logiku (Peacock Logic, 2025). Together with Ondřej Slačálek and Olga Pavlova he co-wrote the book Proroci postutopického radikalismu: Alexandr Dugin a Hakim Bey (Prophets of Post-Utopian Radicalism: Alexander Dugin and Hakim Bey, 2018), in which they situate the thought of these contrasting authors within historical, political, spiritual, and literary contexts. His latest book, Spiritualita posvátné Země: Divoká cesta spolubytí (Spirituality of the Sacred Earth: The Wild Path of Coexistence, 2026), explores the themes of green spirituality, interconnectedness, and the sacredness of life on Earth. From 2013 to 2023 he was the editor-in-chief of the literary biweekly Tvar.

Marie Iljašenko is a poet, writer, and translator of Czech-Ukrainian origin. She has written three collections of poetry. In her latest, titled Wild Urban Stories (Zvířata přicházejí do města, 2025), she focuses on the big city as a home for humans, animals, and plants. Her first book, Osip Heads South (Osip míří na jih, 2014), was nominated for a Magnesia Litera award in the category Debut of the Year. She also writes short stories, columns, and essays. In 2023 she won the Tom Stoppard Prize for the best essay written in Czech, in which she addressed the topic of central European cultural identity. She regularly writes columns for the website iLiteratura.cz as well as for Foyer, the magazine of the National Theatre. She translates from Polish and Ukrainian into Czech, mainly contemporary poetry. She has edited a number of books, including the anthology of war reports Bread from the Minefield (Chleba z minového pole, 2023). Since 2022 she has been working as an editor at DOX, where she prepares exhibition catalogues and other books for publication.