As part of this year’s Night of Researchers program series, the National Laboratory for Digital Heritage also welcomed visitors with a special lecture. Our colleague, Dorottya Henrietta Szemigán, gave a presentation on September 26 under the title Code and Poetry – Lyricism in the Age of Algorithms.

During the lecture, the audience learned what makes digital literature a distinct genre and how the computer and the possibilities of the networked world have influenced the processes of writing and reading. Dorottya Henrietta Szemigán also offered a historical overview, ranging from the 13th century history of logic and combinatorics through the avant-garde movements of the 20th century to contemporary text generators.

After a brief introduction to the subgenres of digital literature, the audience was presented with numerous examples of the various forms of digital combinatorial poetry. They also gained insight into the artistic and historical context of this form of creation through detailed analyses of several significant international and Hungarian works. The lecture highlighted their background, relationship to poetic traditions, and the structural design and functioning of different text and verse generators. The bravest participants even had the chance to try their hand at writing poetry using such methods.

The event demonstrated that the genre of digital literature should not be regarded merely as a technological feat or curiosity. Rather, this field of digital art has by now become part of our cultural heritage, where tradition and innovation are closely intertwined.