European Community of Writers

a literary organization founded in 1958 in Naples, with a membership of more than 1,500 writers from 26 European countries.

Member writers are obliged by the rules of the European Community of Writers “to do their utmost to promote the development of a spirit of friendship and cooperation among peoples.” Between 1958 and 1965 the organization held five congresses. On Aug. 5-8, 1963, a conference on problems of the contemporary novel was held in Leningrad, one of the most broadly representative international writers’ meetings since World War II. The organization’s first president was the Italian writer G. Angioletti, who was succeeded after his death by the Italian poet G. Ungaretti. Vice-presidents have been H. Laxness (Iceland), M. Bazhan (USSR), A. Tvardovskii (USSR), J. Iwaszkiewicz (Poland), and J.-P. Sartre (France). Since 1968, as a result of the inimical actions taken by the secretary-general G. Vigorelli toward the USSR and other socialist countries, the activities of this organization have been virtually paralyzed.