The name of the French poet, novelist, journalist and political activist Louis Aragon is well-known in the Armenian reality, because his attitude to the centuries-old Armenian literature is obvious. In 1955, he wrote an extensive article titled “The Millennial Procession of Armenia” where he especially valued Avetik Isahakyan and Yeghishe Charents, comparing them with major poets of the 20th century Éluard, Apollinaire, Rilke, Lorca, Yesenin, and Mayakovsky. On the occasion of the death of Avetik Isahakyan in 1957, Aragon wrote the article "In Memory of Avetik Isahakyan" In the article "Who Remembers the
Armenian Genocide," he called the events of 1915 "the first genocidal crime against a living people."

The Mann family that lived in the ancient city of Lübeck gave the world two outstanding writers, Heinrich and Thomas. Heinrich wanted to become an artist. He collaborated with the satirical weekly "Simplicissimus," and followed the lectures on art history at the University of Berlin. His literary debut is the satirical, critical novel "In the Land of Cockaigne." Based on the traditions of Balzac and Zola, he created portraits of Berlin's rich, who became owners of huge wealth as a result of various frauds. Mann creates the image of a country with such residents, a country where milky rivers flow and apples and pears fall down at people's feet. All this is in some measure borrowed from the folklore reality. This is how the provincial young man Andreas Zumsee sees the high society of the capital. The handsome poet is lucky. Holding him in her powerful arms during love moments, his financier wife gives him pieces of very valuable advice on how to succeed in stock markets...

The broadcast is dedicated to the founder of modern Chinese literature Lu Xun (real name Zhou Shu Ren). Both his prose and journalistic literature as well as literary-historical works clearly demonstrate the development of Chinese literature. Lu Xun was born in Shaoxing. His father was a landlord and gave his land plots in rent. It freed the family from many life problems, that is, the Zhou family lived a comfortable life. Lu Xun first studied at Naval Academy in Jiangnan, then at the School of Mining and Railways. Here he studied several foreign languages, English, German, French, and got acquainted with natural sciences — physics, chemistry, biology —  developing his mental abilities. Of course, this knowledge wasn't sufficient, and Lu Xun started to educate himself...

The broadcast is dedicated to the famous French writer and great proponent of realistic prose Hervé Bazin. He is considered to be the most read writer of the 1950s to 1980s. He was also a well-known public figure, a fighter for peace, and had been the Chairman of the Goncourt Academy since 1973. All of this shows the great importance he had in the literary life of France. Bazin was born in an  aristocratic family, which was proud of its ancestors, among whom there were eminent lawyers, clergymen, scientists, soldiers, even a bishop and an academician. His father was a lawyer, worked at the Catholic University, and saw his son as a lawyer. Herve first studied at a Catholic gymnasium, then, at his parents' will, in the faculty of law of the university, but soon left it. The reason was his conflict with his parents, who did not accept their son's literary inclinations...

The broadcast is dedicated to the Czech literature of the 20th century, for which the 1920s were a difficult and controversial period associated with aesthetic views. This was accompanied by heated ideological debates. A large role was played by the literary group "Devetsil" founded in Brno in 1923. The group members considered themselves Marxists and tried to make innovations in art. The Surrealists became successors of Poetism and published a manifesto based on the works of André Breton and of French Surrealists...

The broadcast is dedicated to the famous Spanish poet Miguel Hernández. In 1931, in the hope of a big success, Miguel arrived in the capital without a penny in his pocket.  An interview with the shepherd poet and some poems by him appeared in the best journals of the capital. But he didn't succeed in finding a job.  In order to provide his essential needs, he returned to his village. However, the Madrid period was very effective: he got acquainted with modern Spanish poetry and strengthened his interest in the Spanish poet Góngora. The very first collection of Hernández, published in 1933 under the title "The Expert on the Moon," bears the influence of Góngora, whose poetry left a striking impression on the self-taught poet...

The broadcast is dedicated to the Irish playwright and novelist Seán O'Casey. Due to poor eyesight, he never went to school and learned to read and write on his own. He wrote his first plays in the 1920s. The play "The Shadow of a Gunman" was followed by "Juno and the Paycock" and "The Plough and the Stars." All the three plays are dedicated to the national liberation struggle of the Irish people. In all these works, the most important thing is the depiction of the heroic spirit of most insignificant and humble people.

The German writer and political figure Anna Seghers was born in Mainz, in a bourgeois family. Her first stories appeared in the middle of the 1920s, and in the first story, "Grubetsch," she clearly reflected the reality. In the novel "Die Ziegler," she presented the tragic fate of a small man. The suffering of the Ziegler family of artisans has a direct connection to the German bourgeois reality of that time. Seghers centers her attention not only on the victims of social injustice, but also on those who fight against it.

Herbert Wells, a science fiction writer, master of social and philosophical fiction, biologist by profession and Doctor of Biology, is an author of many famous novels, scientific studies, manuals, and various interesting books.  It is a well-known fact that scientific and technical progress is in the center of his entire work. But the writer was firmly convinced that technical progress cannot make humans happy, and in his works, Wells made interesting juxtapositions between capacities of science and reason, and described world cataclysms, the cruelty of soldiers, and the conquest of colonies. In the early 20th century, he foresaw the birth of many great scientific discoveries related to the development of the universe and interplanetary communication.

The broadcast is dedicated to the Italian  prose writer, dramatist, and poet Luigi Pirandello. He pictured the life and the rights of small people with a new quality of realistic prose. As a dramatist, he is an innovator. He created a new philosophical and psychological theater. His most famous work is the play "Six Characters in Search of an Author ." Here, the characters – the actors, the manager of the theater and the invented characters of unwritten plays –  are real people. Pirandello uses a very interesting trick, uniting reality and theatrical play: the act develops right in front of the audience...

The broadcast is dedicated to the U.S. literary life of the first half of the 20th century. This period was marked with the literature of Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Sherwood Anderson, Eugene O'Neill, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, John Dos Passos, and others.

The broadcast is dedicated to the Italian writer Alberto Moravia (born Pincherle). He gained literary fame with his first novel, "Time of Indifference." His novel “Two Women” condemns the war, and in the image of Cesira, the writer presents the character of Italian women: their strong will, endurance, strength of spirit...

The broadcast is dedicated to the Austrian writer Joseph Roth, whose works also describe many episodes from the writer's own fate. He wrote sixteen novels, of which particularly “Radetzky March” brought him literary fame. Roth showed in this novel how boring, monotony can be…

The broadcast is dedicated to the American writer J. D. Salinger, the author of the novel "The Catcher in the Rye." In this novel, in the image of teenager Holden, Salinger depicted the American world, which is also the approximate description of the entire world. The novel was a huge success among millions of readers in different parts of the world. Salinger also authored some unique novellas and short stories. In 1965, he departed from people and began to live in a small, beautiful village. He spent the rest of his life in this village until January 27, 2010…

The broadcast is dedicated to the Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno, a Basque by origin. The main theme of his works is the fate of Spain in its past and present. Unamuno became a famous prose writer and poet in Europe for his collections of patriotic and philosophical poetry, novels, and essays. Especially his novels “Mist” and "Love and Pedagogy" as well as his essays dedicated to Don Quixote brought him a great fame.

The broadcast is dedicated to Japanese prose writer and playwright Yukio Mishima who established an interesting and extraordinary connection between a writer and readers. Yes, it is possible to read him with interest without sharing his ideas and without following his conclusions. But even in this case, his work and person continue remaining in the center of attention in the entire world. Mishima gained fame especially for his novel "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" where he created the new Herostratus of his times.

The broadcast is dedicated to Austrian writer, literary critic, playwright and essayist Stefan Zweig, whose novels opened a new page in the history of the world literature thanks to their sincereness and profoundness. He became famous especially for his works “The Royal Game,” “Amok,” “Confusion of Feelings,” and “Letter from an Unknown Woman.” He called his “Maria Stuart” a biographical novel. Recounting Maria Stuart’s happy days and her harsh years, the writer ponders on freedom and its boundaries…

The broadcast is dedicated to the French writer and military aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who became world-wide famous for his philosophical novella "The Little Prince." It is very possible that Saint-Exupéry wrote here about himself and unveiled his soul in the image of the little child who was concerned about the future of the Earth and the whole Universe. No coincidence that he wrote this during World War II, when his homeland was also in danger. This wise tale is interesting for people of all ages and remains actual to this day.

The broadcast is dedicated to French poet, playwright, essayist, and publicist, Nobel Prize winner François Mauriac. He became more known as a master of social-psychological novels. His novels "A Kiss to the Leper,"  "Thérèse Desqueyroux," and "The Knot of Vipers" brought a great fame to him. When the Fascist army conquered his homeland, he wrote that even if we see the shame surrounding us and feel it in our souls, we should not despair and lose our trust in human; this is the sense of our life and survival.

The broadcast is dedicated to French philosopher, novelist, playwright, Nobel Prize winner Jean-Paul Sartre. The core of his philosophical views is the idea of freedom, which is the essence of human behavior, source of activity, and the only opportunity of human existence, according to Sartre. These views are reflected in his literature, especially in his famous novel "Nausea," in the trilogy "The Roads to Freedom," in the collection of stories "The Wall," in his autobiographical novel "The Words," and in many other works.