Versopolis Podcast #33: Notes from Hungarian poetry

Péter Závada is a Hungarian poet, playwright and musician whose artistic journey began in rebellion. What started as a teenage rap project went on to become one of Hungary’s most influential hip-hop groups, AKPH. From there, Péter transitioned into poetry, publishing six acclaimed volumes and earning numerous literary awards.

Our conversation moves from Budapest to Iowa, where Péter joined the renowned Iowa Writers’ Program – a pivotal experience that connected him with an international community of poets, playwrights and thinkers. We explore the challenges of publishing as an Eastern European poet, the tightening grip of Hungary’s political regime on independent culture and the resilience of a literary scene that continues to create under pressure. Péter’s latest poetry collection, the I-Machine, explores the writing subject in an age where auto-fiction has become the staple poetry form.

Péter Závada (1982) is a Hungarian poet, playwright, translator and musician. A former member of the hip-hop and slam poetry groups Akkezdet Phiai and trAnzKaPHka, he has since established himself as one of Hungary’s most distinctive literary voices. His poetry has appeared widely in Hungarian and international journals, and he has participated in more than thirty theatre productions as dramaturg and playwright.