Belletrist Association Society

The Belletrist Association Society (Hungarian: Szépírók Társasága) is a Hungarian literary society founded in 1997 with its seat in Budapest. It was established as a professional and interest-protection alliance of writers who shared a similar literary outlook and mutual respect for one another's work. A large part of its membership came from writers who had left the Hungarian Writers' Association (Magyar Írószövetség), which had been founded in 1989. The change caused considerable upheaval because the new society committed itself to operating differently from previous practice. The Society also intended to function as an interest-protection and representation body for writers, helping to address members' existential difficulties. The Society's first association president was András Pályi, who led it for one year. He was followed by Dr. Ákos Szilágyi, also for one year, and then by the writer Endre Kukorelly, who served as president for three years. From 2003, the president of the Belletrist Association Society was Vilmos Csaplár, who had previously been a spokesperson for the left-leaning Hungarian Democratic Charter from 1993. From 2012, the president was the critic and editor Sándor Mészáros, with literary historian Zsófia Szilágyi and Piroska Kéri as vice-presidents. In 2015, literary historian Anna Gács was elected president of the organization. In 2017, state operational support amounted to 700,000 forints, while a further 33.5 million forints were received for programme support (NKA, Arany János Memorial Year, Year of Contemporary Literature). In 2018, the Society had 390 members. On 14 May 2018, at the Society's renewing general assembly, the József Attila Prize-winning poet Endre Szkárosi was elected president, with Piroska Kéri and Ferenc Czinki becoming vice-presidents. Following the death of Piroska Kéri, Márta Józsa was elected vice-president in September 2020 for a one-year term. In May 2021, the Society again held presidential and vice-presidential elections. As a result, the new leadership consisted of president Ferenc Czinki and vice-presidents Márta Józsa and Tibor Babiczky. The Society organizes traditional cultural events, including the Autumn Festival (Őszi Fesztivál), held every October at the Petőfi Literary Museum since autumn 2003, and the programme "The Afterlife of the Book" (A könyv utóélete), a series of events initiated by the Society and promoted throughout the country and even beyond the borders to bring contemporary literature and the reading public together. It also awards the Szépíró Prize (Szépíró-díj), first presented on 23 April 2001, for outstanding creative work by groups and writers in the categories of poetry, prose, and essay. In September 2020, the Society's presidency announced the establishment of the Kéri Piroska Prize in memory of its former vice-president, awarded annually to persons outstanding in literary organization. The Society maintains a website at szepiroktarsasaga.hu, which lists news, membership, series, the Szépíró Prize, applications, events, scholarships, royalties, aid, the SILO programme, writing and solidarity festivals, international cooperation, the SZÍN Women's Advocacy Forum, and the International Book Festival. It also provides its statutes (Alapszabály) from 2012, 2016, and 2020, and various other documents.

The Belletrist Association Society (Szépírók Társasága) was founded in 1997 with its seat in Budapest. It was created as a professional and interest-protection alliance of writers who respected each other's literary work and shared a similar spirit. A large part of its membership came from writers who had left the Hungarian Writers' Association (Magyar Írószövetség), which had been founded in 1989. The change caused considerable upheaval because the new society committed itself to operating differently from previous practice. The Society also intended to function as an interest-protection and representation body for writers, helping to address members' existential difficulties. The Society's first association president was András Pályi, who led it for one year. He was followed by Dr. Ákos Szilágyi, also for one year, and then by the writer Endre Kukorelly, who served as president for three years. From 2003, the president of the Belletrist Association Society was Vilmos Csaplár, who had previously been a spokesperson for the left-leaning Hungarian Democratic Charter from 1993. From 2012, the president was the critic and editor Sándor Mészáros, with literary historian Zsófia Szilágyi and Piroska Kéri as vice-presidents. In 2015, literary historian Anna Gács was elected president of the organization. In 2017, state operational support amounted to 700,000 forints, while a further 33.5 million forints were received for programme support (NKA, Arany János Memorial Year, Year of Contemporary Literature). In 2018, the Society had 390 members. On 14 May 2018, at the Society's renewing general assembly, the József Attila Prize-winning poet Endre Szkárosi was elected president, with Piroska Kéri and Ferenc Czinki becoming vice-presidents. Following the death of Piroska Kéri, Márta Józsa was elected vice-president in September 2020 for a one-year term. In May 2021, the Society again held presidential and vice-presidential elections. As a result, the new leadership consisted of president Ferenc Czinki and vice-presidents Márta Józsa and Tibor Babiczky. The Society organizes traditional cultural events, including the Autumn Festival (Őszi Fesztivál), held every October at the Petőfi Literary Museum since autumn 2003, and the programme "The Afterlife of the Book" (A könyv utóélete), a series of events initiated by the Society and promoted throughout the country and even beyond the borders to bring contemporary literature and the reading public together. It also awards the Szépíró Prize (Szépíró-díj), first presented on 23 April 2001, for outstanding creative work by groups and writers in the categories of poetry, prose, and essay. In September 2020, the Society's presidency announced the establishment of the Kéri Piroska Prize in memory of its former vice-president, awarded annually to persons outstanding in literary organization. The Society maintains a website at szepiroktarsasaga.hu, which lists news, membership, series, the Szépíró Prize, applications, events, scholarships, royalties, aid, the SILO programme, writing and solidarity festivals, international cooperation, the SZÍN Women's Advocacy Forum, and the International Book Festival. It also provides its statutes (Alapszabály) from 2012, 2016, and 2020, and various other documents.

• 2021

  In May Ferenc Czinki is elected president, with Márta Józsa and Tibor Babiczky as vice-presidents.

• 2020

  In September Márta Józsa is elected vice-president for a one-year term; the Kéri Piroska Prize is announced.

• 2018

  The Society has 390 members; on 14 May Endre Szkárosi is elected president, with Piroska Kéri and Ferenc Czinki as vice-presidents.

• 2017

  State operational support is 700,000 forints, with 33.5 million forints in programme support.

• 2015

  Anna Gács is elected president.

• 2012

  Sándor Mészáros becomes president, with Zsófia Szilágyi and Piroska Kéri as vice-presidents.

• 2003

  The Autumn Festival is first held in October at the Petőfi Literary Museum; Vilmos Csaplár becomes president.

• 2001

  The first Szépíró Prize is awarded on 23 April.

• 1997

  The Belletrist Association Society is founded in Budapest.

Professional and interest-protection alliance of Hungarian writers, operating as one of the country's largest independent literary organizations.

1. 1Szépírók Társasága - Nyitóoldalszepiroktarsasaga.hu
2. 2Belletrist Association Societywikidata.org
3. 3Szépírók Társaságahu.wikipedia.org