Mircea Cărtărescu

Mircea Cărtărescu is a Romanian novelist, poet, short-story writer, literary critic, and essayist, known for his postmodern, dreamlike imagination. Born in Bucharest, he studied Romanian language and literature at the University of Bucharest, where he later became a professor. He debuted as a poet in 1978, and his first book, Faruri, vitrine, fotografii (1980), established him as a distinctive voice in Romanian literature.

Cărtărescu’s work spans poetry, fiction, and essays, often blending memory, identity, and visionary imagination. His postmodern epic The Levant (1990) and the Orbitor trilogy (1996–2007) are celebrated for their lyrical, experimental prose. Translated into many languages, his writing has reached readers across Europe and the Americas, and he has taught in Romania, the Netherlands, and Germany, remaining a leading figure in contemporary Romanian literature.