There are friendships that fade with distance, and there are those rare connections that quietly endure the constant motion of life. My friendship with Az üres penna monológja author Steve bácsi—known in everyday life as István Szegedi—belongs firmly to the latter.
We met nearly twenty years ago, at a New Year’s Eve party in the former SZDSZ office on Ecsed Street. Since then, life has carried me through countless cities, countries, and communities. With every move, friendships reshaped themselves, some disappearing, others transforming. Yet Steve remained—one of the very few people I can count on one hand with whom something genuine has persisted over decades.
He is, in every sense, an extraordinary character: a brilliant mind, a true artist of life, someone who meets the world with an almost disarming positivity. Whether in Budapest, London, or unexpectedly in Málaga, he brings the same warmth and curiosity to every encounter.
When I lived in London, our paths crossed again in Newham, in a pub called the Lord Raglan, where he worked as head chef. I was the guest; he was the host—but more importantly, we were friends sharing stories over tea or beer, as if no time had passed at all. These moments, scattered across years and countries, became small anchors in an otherwise constantly shifting life.
Steve’s creative journey has followed a similarly organic path. After writing a stage adaptation of my own book, The Path of Stars from the Star Sky series—a piece I read with both laughter and admiration—he published his first poetry collection, Sallangok Nélkül. That was followed, after five years, by his second volume, Az üres penna monológja.
This new collection feels like a natural continuation, yet also a deeper introspection—a dialogue between silence and expression, absence and presence. Steve’s voice remains authentic, unfiltered, and profoundly human.
Last year, by pure coincidence, we ran into each other again in Málaga, at a small place called Amigos. Both of us were there with our wives, both equally surprised and delighted. We talked for hours—about London, about the even older days in Budapest’s political circles, about life itself. It felt like stepping into a shared memory.
Today, I have the privilege of sitting down with him as a conversation partner at the launch of his second poetry book at the Dugattyús House. We will talk about his poems, his process, and the journey that led to this new collection.
I have no doubt it will be an engaging and meaningful discussion.
If you have the time, come and join us.