1.0 video <p><strong>Can obsession turn an impossible dream into reality? In conversation with the master of modern surrealism Mircea Cărtărescu about</strong><i><strong> Theodoros</strong></i><strong>, a novel about the rise of an unlikely emperor.</strong></p><p>Theodoros is set in the nineteenth century and follows the extraordinary life of the otherwise ordinary Teodor, the son of two servants of a Romanian aristocrat. Raised on stories of Alexander the Great told by his Greek mother, he becomes obsessed with the idea that he too is destined for greatness — and everything else must give way to it. His improbable life path eventually leads him to Ethiopia, where he ascends the throne as Emperor Tewodros II. <i>Theodoros</i> is a surreal epic, written in rich, distinctive prose.</p><p><strong>About the speakers</strong><br /><strong>Mircea Cărtărescu</strong> (Bucharest, 1956) is considered one of the most important voices in contemporary European literature. His novels and poetry have been widely translated and awarded, and his acclaimed novel <i>Solenoid</i> was hailed by the European press as a masterpiece.</p><p><strong>Jan Willem Bos </strong>(1954) translated more than twenty-five novels, short-story collections, and poetry collections from Romanian. He has also published numerous articles and written several nonfiction books about Romania.</p><p><strong>Remo Verdickt</strong> (1992) is a literary scholar and specialised in Mircea Cărtărescu’s work. He wrote several articles about him, including in <i>De Standaard</i> and<i> Los Angeles Review of Books</i>. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in literature at KU Leuven. </p><p>Programme editor: Ianthe Mosselman</p><p>In cooperation with: Roemeens Cultureel Instituut Brussel</p> https://vod.salto.nl/img/2026/05/19/6a0c0f96d1406700131bdac7_screenshot_1.jpg 1280 720 1280 720 <iframe src="https://vod.salto.nl/embed/6D96Q5TWH6CgCqUmAg0QmC" width="1280" height="720" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Salto Player https://vod.salto.nl