The Humanitas Aqua Forte Foundation and Humanitas Publishing House are organising the 2026 „Monica Lovinescu” Prize award gala on Wednesday 11 November at 19:00 at the Romanian Athenaeum. The prize was established in 2023, the centenary year of Monica Lovinescu's birth, and is dedicated to non-fiction books in the humanities and to bold, far-reaching intellectual endeavours. For the fourth edition, books published between April 2025 and September 2026 were considered. The jury consists of Alexandru Călinescu, Ioana Pârvulescu (chair) and Răzvan Purcărea.
The evening begins with a recital by pianist George Todică, a laureate of the „George Enescu” International Competition, who will perform Franz Schubert's Impromptu in F minor, Op. 142 No. 1, D. 935, Claude Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau and Clair de lune, and then Frédéric Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23. The second part features a dialogue between Gabriel Liiceanu and Ioan Stanomir on the theme Confruntarea cu trecutul (Confronting the Past), followed by the presentation of the prize by Ioana Pârvulescu. The event is hosted by Marius Constantinescu.
Tickets can be bought on Eventbook.ro: eventbook.ro/other/bilete-gala-premiului-monica-lovinescu-2…. Main partner: Asociația Dedeman. Partners: „George Enescu” Philharmonic, Humanitas Publishing House. Media partners: Radio România Cultural, Știrile PROTV, Libertatea, Hotnews.ro, Europa FM, ELLE.
