Dr. Anna Szilágyi is an internationally recognized linguistic expert, author, and educator who uncovers the connection between power and the use of grammar and rhetoric in public and private life. She holds two master’s degrees—one in Literature and Linguistics and one in Political Science—as well as a PhD in Media and Communication. Anna is from Budapest, Hungary.

She has taught 29 university classes so far in public speaking, media literacy, political and intercultural communication. Among others, Anna has lectured at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong, Saint Louis University in Madrid, and Central European University in Budapest. Additionally, she has worked together with universities, schools, and nonprofit organizations in Hungary and internationally, delivering more than 50 training sessions for journalists, journalism students, and professionals working in the field of identity-based violence prevention. Her education program “Words Break Bones” has been implemented in countries including Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Serbia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

For nearly a decade, Anna has also collaborated closely with theatre practitioner Rodrigó Balogh and communication consultant Gábor Bernáth on a unique educational initiative in Central and Eastern Europe. Their two-day training program, which they developed together, has been attended by hundreds of Roma youth and young people in state care across Hungary, Slovakia, and Transylvania. The program equips participants with communication skills that help them navigate prejudice and discrimination more effectively in their everyday lives.

Anna’s writings have appeared in academic journals and books, including The Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict and Advances in the History of Rhetoric. She has provided commentaries for media outlets, such as Global Voices, Público, Quartz, Rappler, and Vice News, and has authored several guides on the power of language for journalists and the general public. She is currently putting the final touches on her book “Words Break Bones—The Language of Disempowerment”, a collection of human stories that illustrate how certain linguistic and rhetorical tools—often subtle and unnoticed—can disempower people in everyday interactions and at a broader societal level.

From 2000 to 2008, she worked as an editor and reporter for the Hungarian public broadcaster MTV. In recognition of her achievements in television journalism and opinion writing, she received the Junior Prima Award in the Hungarian Press category in 2009, one of Hungary’s most prestigious awards for young professionals.

Anna was raised in a bilingual Hungarian-Russian family. She speaks fluent English, has some knowledge of Mandarin, and is currently studying Spanish.

Discover more about Anna’s work in the “Research” and “Media” sections of this website.

Photo: András Fekete