May 2018

Two authors from Tbilisi came to Bristol to help launch the new "Book of Tbilisi" (Authors Zviad Kvaratskhelia and Bacho Kvirtia) as part of BTA 30th anniversary celebrations. The BTA was working with the Bristol Festival of Ideas to arrange an exciting and stimulating evening.

In the 26 years since Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union, the country and its capital, Tbilisi, have endured unimaginable hardships: one coup d’état, two wars with Russia, the curse of organised crime, and prolonged periods of economic depression. Now the Tbilisi has begun to flourish again – drawing hordes of tourists with its eclectic architecture and famous welcoming spirit. Zviad Kvaratskhelia (pictured) and Bacho Kvirtia, two contributors to the short-story collection  The Book of Tbilisi,  offer snapshots of life in their city, reconciling its recent past with its glamourous present.

http://www.ideasfestival.co.uk/events/zviad-kvaratskhelia-and-bacho-kvirtia/

 *