Wed 17 Apr 5.30-7.00pm
The Irish Joint Secretariat Office, 40 Linenhall Street, Belfast

Vladimir Arsenijević is a writer and public intellectual from Serbia. He won the 1994 NIN Prize, the most significant literary award in former Yugoslavia, for his first novel In the Hold (U potpalublju) as the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious prize. The anti-war novel, which takes place during the Battle of Vukovar in autumn 1991, was one of the first works published in Serbia to discuss the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia from the perspective of those who lived in Belgrade at the time. Arsenijević made a name for himself in Serbia and other countries of the region, as an outspoken columnist and sociopolitical commentator. As in his novels, his columns and public appearances are dominated by recent Balkan history and politics from the Serbian perspective, though one that is very critical of the Serbian nationalism, political system, its relations with other states in the region and its role in the Yugoslav Wars.

Misha Glenny is an award-winning journalist, author and public intellectual. He assumed the role of IWM (Institute of Human Sciences, Vienna) Rector in May 2022. He covered the 1989 revolutions and wars in the former Yugoslavia for The Guardian and was the BBC’s Central Europe Correspondent. In 1993, he received the Sony Gold Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, and in 2012 he was named BT Information Security Journalist of The Year. His publications have been met with considerable international acclaim, including his account of Yugoslavia's descent into civil war.

In more recent years, Misha Glenny has dedicated his journalistic activities to the uncovering of geopolitical and cybersecurity issues. His books McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld and DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You were shortlisted for several awards. McMafia has been adapted into a major television drama.