The ninth GavranFest in Germany

The ninth GavranFest, the international theatre festival which exclusively features plays by the Croatian author Miro Gavran, will take place 1-3 February 2019 in the Sensemble Theatre in Ausburg, Germany. The producers of the festival, Anne Schuester and Sebastian Seidel, have invited five productions from Austria, Croatia and Germany. They have also organised two round tables where directors, actors, theatrologists, and translators will speak about Gavran's work. 

01/02/2019 The Doll, Sensemble Theatre (Augsburg, Germany)

02/02/2019 Pontius Pilate, Theatre Und So Fort (Munich, Germany); Ice Cream, Theatre Gavran (Zagreb, Croatia)

03/02/2019 Beer, Sensemble Theatre, (Augsburg, Germany); Laughing Prohibited, Theatre Center Forum (Vienna, Austria)


GavranFest was founded in 2003 in the Jan Palarik Theatre in Trnava, Slovakia where it was held four times. In 2013 it was held in the Ludowy Theatre in Krakow, Poland, and since 2016 it has been held in Prague in the Czech Republic.    

Miro Gavran plays have premiered seven times in German theatres. Two collections of his dramas have been published in German, by the University of Bamberg Press. And, three of his plays – Creon’s Antigone, George Washington’s Loves, and Night of the Gods – were included in an anthology of the world’s best dramas, published by Anton Heirsemann Publishing House, Stuttgart.     

Holding this festival in Germany will without a doubt encourage German theatres to pay even more attention to texts by this Croatian author.

 

 

Monika Herceg

Contagious Zone, written in two voices during the first lockdown and the Zagreb earthquake, is one of the significant artistic documents of the time that has befallen us. This manuscript by Andrijana Kos Lajtman and Damir Radić  is of exceptional strength, but also of undiluted language which dissolves the worries, the fears, our everyday life – all of which is now increasingly in focus. The dual voice itself… seems to be the ideal way to establish a dialogue, an attempt to articulate a world that suddenly stopped with us trapped in it, but through two voices who are now searching for their unique language, a way to deal with what is beyond them.

 

Croatia at the Livre Paris 2019.

For the first time, the Republic of Croatia will participate at the biggest book fair in France Livre Paris, which will take place from 15 until 18 March 2019. This year, in the context of the present political situation and instead of inviting the guest country, the focus of the Paris book fair will be Europe. Croatia will therefore also be represented in the framework of this great topic.

In the European part of the fair, a selection of contemporary Croatian literary works will be presented on the national stand with the aim of acquainting the French and European visitors with the latest works, as well as intensifying the translation of contemporary Croatian writers to European and other world languages. As an important reference point, we have opened a web page www.croatian-literature.hr with sample translations and information on the most relevant authors. Croatian poetry, both classical and contemporary, and published in France mostly in cooperation with the editor L'Ollave, will be particularly highlighted.

Since the Croatian culture in France is represented substantially in the field of comic books, the national stand will also feature the works of Croatian authors already established on the French market. Given their success, and in order to showcase different artistic voices, the works of Danijel Žeželj, Helena Klakočar, Igor Kordej and Darko Macan, Simon Bogojević Narath, and Frano Petruša will be put forward.

The writings of Croatian authors, recently published and translated in France, will be available for purchase in the European library.

Furthermore, Croatian literature, namely French editions of Croatian works, will be represented on the European stage on 18 March between 5 and 6 p.m. Damir Karakaš will introduce himself as a novelist and unveil the French translation of his collection of short stories "The Eskimos", to be published at the beginning of March, while poet and translator Vanda Mikšić will present her poetry works, also published in France. The conversation on contemporary Croatian literature will be moderated by editor and translator Ursula Burger.

This year's appearance at the Paris book fair will be organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, in collaboration with Croatian and French partners.

 

 
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C'est la première fois que la République de Croatie se présente au Salon du livre de Paris, le plus grand événement international littéraire en France qui se tiendra du 15 au 18 mars 2019. Dans le contexte de la situation politique actuelle, cette année le salon „Livre Paris“ accueille, à la place d'un pays d'honneur, un continent entier: l'Europe. C'est dans le cadre de ce grand thème que la participation croate est conçue.

Dans la section européenne du Salon, une sélection de la littérature croate contemporaine sera proposée sur le stand national, dans le but de se présenter au public français et européen et d’encourager la traduction des œuvres d’auteurs croates contemporains en d’autres langues européennes et mondiales. Dans cet objectif, nous avons créé un site Web, www.croatian-literature.hr , qui recueille les traductions et les informations sur les principaux auteurs croates contemporains. L'accent sera mis sur la poésie croate, classique et contemporaine, publiée en France, généralement en collaboration avec l'éditeur L'Ollave.

Etant donné que la culture croate en France soit largement représentée dans le domaine de la bande dessinée, sur le stand national seront exposées les œuvres qui sont déjà reconnues sur le marché français. Ce sont des œuvres de Danijel Žeželj, Helena Klakočar, Igor Kordej et Darko Macan, Simon Bogojević Narath et Frano Petruša qui seront également mises en avant afin de dévoiler les différentes voix artistiques.

Les ouvrages des auteurs croates récemment traduits et publiés en France seront disponibles au public dans la librairie européenne qui fera partie du Salon. Le pavillon Europe avec sa scène dédiée accueillera le 18 mars de 17h à 18h les auteurs croates dont les ouvrages ont été publiés chez les maisons d’édition françaises. Damir Karakaš se présentera avec sa collection de récits "Les Esquimaux" dont la traduction française est en train de voir le jour.  Poétesse et traductrice Vanda Mikšić présentera sa poésie, également traduite en français. Le discours sur la littérature croate contemporaine sera animé par rédactrice et traductrice Ursula Burger.

La participation au Salon du livre à Paris est organisée cette année par le Ministère de la Culture de la République de Croatie, en coopération avec des partenaires croates et français.

Jurica Pavičić awarded with Prix Mystère de la critique for the best translated crime novel in 2022 – a fourth French literary prize for his novel 'Red Water'

Jurica Pavičić has just been awarded a fourth French literary prize for the French translation of his novel "Red Water" (L’Eau rouge) – Prix Mystère de la critique for the best translated crime novel in 2022!

Established in 1972, it’s one of the oldest awards for crime fiction in France, awarded annually in two categories: for the best crime novel written in French, and best crime novel translated into French. Pavičić joined authors such as Robert Ludlum, Thomas Harris, Andrea Camilleri, Henning Mankell and Boris Akounine, for winning the prize in translation.

“Red Water” was translated into French by Olivier Lannuzel and published by Agullo, reaching now more than 15.000 printed copies. Last year it received three prestigious awards: Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for the best translated crime novel in 2021, Le Point du Polar européen for best European crime novel by a European author, and the Transfuge prize for best crime novel in translation awarded by the French monthly culture magazine.

First published in Croatian in 2017, it received amazing reviews, winning Ksaver Šandor Đalski and Fric award, and being shortlisted for the coveted tportal and Meša Selimović prizes for best novel in 2017. It was also translated into German as “Blut und Wasser” (2020).

Croatia on the Leipzig Book Fair from March 21st to March 24th 2019

The Leipzig Book Fair, with its conception, format and focus on the Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe is an exceptional platform for presenting the authors, gaining reader's attention and increasing the visibility on the European literary scene. The fair is aimed towards both authors and readers, and this year will host more than 3400 participants on more than 3600 literary events. In days of the fair, the entire city transforms into a stage dedicated to promoting the importance of reading: the programs are held in museums, theaters, bars and repurposed industrial objects.

As in the past years, Croatia will once exhibit on the Leipzig Book Fair. Croatian authors will appear within Traduki, now traditional literary program, and continue the year-long practice of appearing alongside with other members of the Traduki cultural network.

That kind of collaboration includes the Croatian authors into a much wider context of representation. This year's edition theme is Found in Translation. Croatian participants are Olja Savičević Ivančević, Slobodan Šnajder and Dino Pešut, who will present the recent German translation of their work, while translators and fans will dedicate a hommage to recently deceased Daša Drndić. Croatian writers will also take part in the eventful and rich program of Principality of Liechtenstein, which celebrates its 300th anniversary.

Comics and graphic novels have always been an important segment of the Leipzig Book Fair, as well as this year's feature of the Traduki program. Croatian national booth will offer, along with a selection of recent peaks of Croatian literature, the works of our comics and graphic novels authors that have already gained a significant international success. Different artistic voices will be represented through the works of Danijel Žeželj, Helena Klakočar, Edvin Biuković, Igor Kordej and Darko Macan, Simon Bogojević Narath, Frano Petruša and Krešimir Biuk.

The promotional materials will include sample translations and information on the most relevant contemporary authors, and will draw attention to Croatian Literature online site as an important reference point for all the international publishers interested in translating Croatian literary works.

As a preview of a kind, the materials will also feature Rijeka as the European Capital of Culture 2020.

The booth is decorated in signature Croatian national colors, and this year's appearance is organized by Ministry of Culture in partnership with Traduki as well with others Croatian and German partners.

Ivica Ivanišević

Ivica Ivanišević (Split, 1964) obtained a degree in sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. He worked as a journalist and editor at Nedjeljna Dalmacija, Feral Tribune and Slobodna Dalmacija, where he now works as a columnist. A prolific novelist, he also writes movie and TV scripts and plays.

His novel The Book of Complaints has been awarded the V.B.Z. Literary Prize and Tisak media Prize for the best novel of 2016 and was also longlisted for The Fric Award for the best novel of the year.

Photo: (c) Tone Stojko

VladimirS-works/transl

MAIN WORKS


Marlowe (Marlowe, 1985), drama
Love and the State (Ljubav i država, 1985), drama
Summer War Journal (Ljetni dnevnik rata, Ital merkur, 1991), prose
Katarina Zrinski of the Frankopan Family (Katarina Zrinska od Frankopana, Vl. Naklada, 1994), drama
Elisabethan Trilogy (Elizabetinska trilogija, Vl. Naklada, 2007), drama
Chronicle of Disappearance (Kronika nestajanja, Leykam International, 2011), plays
Life Without a Name (Život bez imena, Fraktura, 2011), novel
Pula (Pula, Konzor, 2011), novel
Opium of the People (Opijum za narod, Naklada Ljevak, 2018), novel
The Holy Man Bošković (Sveti čovjek Bošković, Leykam International, 2018), drama


TRANSLATIONS

Love and the State: Russian and English (World Festival Edition, 2004)

 

Dario Harjaček

Dario Harjaček (Vienna, 1979) is a playwright, prosaist and theatre director. He graduated at the Academy of Dramatic Art at the University of Zagreb, with a theatrical adaptation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters (2006). Since that, he successfully adapted several films, novels and classical dramas. Since then, he has directed many works by contemporary playwrights and has created original stage adaptations of films, novels, classic plays and children's literature, such as The Piano Teacher based on the novel by Elfride Jelinek, Hamletpersona based on Shakespeare and Bergman’s Persona, The Evening Sonata based on Bergman and Alan Ford based on the eponymous comic book.

He wrote over fifty screenplays for the Children’s Programme of the Croatian National Television, and often collaborates at the Croatian Radio’s Drama Programme. He directed more than thirty plays in theatres and theatrical events all over Croatia. In 2018, he published his first novel, Sanjica Lacković.

Main works/Translations
Sample translation
Links
Contacts