Ufa will host "Literary Impulse" Dovlatov Festival for first time

In 2021, it will be 80 years since the birth of Sergey Dovlatov. On the eve of the anniversary Ufa, where one of the most popular Russian writers was born, will host the Dovlatov Festival, the deputy head of the Agency for Press and Mass Media Artur Valeev informs.

"The festival has got its name -"Literary Impulse"- due to a story described in Dovlatov's novel "Craft". There, the writer, ironically tells about the "first literary impulse" that he received at the age of three weeks from the classic of Russian literature Andrey Platonov. Their meeting, as Dovlatov believed, could have taken place in Ufa," Artur Valeev explains.

The "Literary Impulse" Festival, according to the organizers, will give an impetus to the creativity of all residents of the country who can tell their story in a Dovlatov style. Dovlatov collected life stories of his famous contemporaries, which always ended with a bright, accurate, and funny phrase - an aphorism. These stories were included in two small collections of Dovlatov's "Notebooks" - "Solo on Underwood" and "Solo on IBM".

As part of the Dovlatov Festival, the organizers announced the Solo on Smartphone contest, in which everyone can tell a funny story from their life. All these stories are planned to be published as a separate collection after the end of the festival.

"We hope that the published stories will delight and amuse readers for many years in all parts of our country, and possibly the whole world. Such a collection will become the best monument to Sergey Dovlatov, who has become a guide to the world of real literature for millions of readers around the world," Valeev notes.

The stories are published daily on Facebook with the hashtags #DovlatovUfa and #Soloonsmartphone. Three best stories will be awarded prizes at the opening ceremony of the First Dovlatov Festival in Ufa.

The opening ceremony of the First Dovlatov Festival is scheduled for September 3, 2020 - on the writer's birthday at the Bashkiria LifeStyle Center.