On June 13 the British Library is holding a seminar entitled “Balkan Day” with an absolutely fantastic lineup of Balkan writers that includes Dubravka Ugrešić, Vladislav Bajac, Igor Štiks, Andrej Nikolaidis, Muharem Bazdulj, Dragan Kujundžić, Christina Pribicevic-Zoric and Alex Drace-Francis.
There will also be an event with Rosie Goldsmith “Balkanisation: the pick of recent Balkan fiction in English” as well as the launch of Wasafiri literary magazine’s special Balkan edition, with guest editor Vesna Goldsworthy.
And just a note – the event is obviously meant to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of World War I and the Balkans key role in that, so given the current state of the world I think it was a truly excellent idea to hold this celebration on Friday the 13th!
Read an excerpt from participating writer Vladislav Bajac’s novel Hamam Balkania in B O D Y
For more information about the event go here
Vladimir Kozlov in Guernica
“I’m pulling my sneakers on. My feet swelled during the night. I can hardly get them on. Misha and the head teacher are asleep on the first seat, their arms around each other. Valery and Prudnikova are also together, in the aisle. Two empty vodka bottles are lying on the floor.”
From “Brest Fortress” by Vladimir Kozlov, translated from the Russian by Andrea Gregovich and published in Guernica.
Read another story – “Little Brother” – by Vladimir Kozlov translated by Andrea Gregovich in B O D Y
A Difficult Lover and an Anti-Communist
On their blog New Vessel Press has published an account of Polish writer Marek Hlasko’s relationship with the German actress Sonja Ziemann by British journalist Lesley Chamberlain. It’s a fascinating and tragic story.
New Vessel Press has just announced four forthcoming books, including one by Marek Hlasko, All Backs Were Turned, as well as Guys Like Me by Dominique Fabre, Who is Martha? by Marjana Gaponenko and I Called Him Necktie by Milena Michiko Flašar
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