Romanian novelist Mircea Cartarescu, widely regarded as the country’s most translated contemporary writer, views literature as a form of resistance amid what he calls times of “overwhelming evil” and widespread misinformation. Speaking at the launch of his latest book, a collection of aphorisms on writing, Cartarescu emphasized the protective role of literature in today’s turbulent environment marked by conflicts, social unrest, climate challenges, and ideological uncertainty.

Born in Bucharest in 1956, during a time of severe poverty and famine under a totalitarian regime, Cartarescu’s work is deeply intertwined with his early life experiences. The loss of his twin brother at 18 months—a trauma linked to the harsh conditions of his upbringing—has been a recurring theme in his writing. “Nearly all that I write is linked to that,” he said, describing a persistent feeling of absence and disconnection.

Throughout his career, Cartarescu has merged fantasy and reality in his novels, crafting intricate universes that explore personal and collective identity. His 2022 novel, *Theodoros*, a 632-page narrative set in the 19th century, follows the journey of a servant’s son who ascends to the position of emperor. Cartarescu has described his writing process as an unconscious act, likening it to termites building nests without a predetermined outcome. “I never wrote literature to publish books, but to live in them,” he said.

Now 70 years old, Cartarescu is working on a new project that he describes as unconventional and unlike any novel, though he declined to provide additional details. An admirer of writers such as J. D. Salinger and Franz Kafka, as well as the American folk musician Bob Dylan—whose songs he has translated into Romanian—Cartarescu identifies as a “beatnik” and a broad liberal thinker. His lifelong dedication to literature has been both a personal refuge and a means of understanding his own identity.

As a former student and professor at the University of Bucharest, Cartarescu’s life has been centered on literature, which he regards as a “bandage on a wound” in challenging times. He warns that society faces threats on multiple fronts that blur the lines of what to fear, underscoring literature’s role in offering clarity and resilience amid global crises.