After seven days of celebration of books and artistic creativity, with more than 100.000 titles, many curious readers, a large number of publishers and authors - participants in the literary and artistic program, the 17th International Podgorica Book and Education Fair ended today.
The founder of the Fair and the director of the publishing house "Nova knjiga" Predrag Uljarević reminded at the closing ceremony that this year a round table was held, in which the directors of the publishing houses participated: the International Center for Peace - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nova knjiga and the Institute for Textbooks and Teaching funds (ZUNS) - Montenegro, Kashmir transport - Croatia, Archipelago and Clio - Serbia.
"On that occasion, they discussed cooperation in the field of copyright protection and freedom of expression, the importance of translation and the importance of cooperation between publishers, to which they invited all interested publishers from Europe. The participants of this round table will announce the platform for cooperation and invitation next week under the name - Podgorica initiative", said Uljarević.
In addition, at the closing ceremony, the traditional fair awards were awarded, namely 19 awards in 14 categories. Expert jury, consisting of an academician Siniša Jelušić, Prof. Dr. Slavica Perović and an academic painter Marina Vesovic, decided that this year ZUNS from Podgorica and Izdavačka kuća Prometej from Novi Sad deserve the recognition for the best publisher, i.e. complete publishing production.
"You only need to look at the two catalogs for 2023 issued by ZUNS, and understand what an extremely valuable publishing effort and a perfectly founded idea about modern education and the student of the new age is hidden behind them", explained the jury, and then they looked at work of the publishing house from Novi Sad:
”They say: 'We want to bring the unquenchable flame of knowledge into your homes, awaken the reader's curiosity, ask some of the most important questions with which maturation begins'. The award of the International Podgorica Book Fair for 2023 in the Best Publisher category for complete publishing production is based on the fact that it is a publisher that publishes books in the field of national and cultural history, anthropology, psychology, ethnology, linguistics with about 100 titles a year, which represents exceptional publishing efforts, because it is often about capital works that, due to their importance and influence on culture and science, experience reprints", the explanation of the expert jury points out.

For his contribution to the improvement of publishing and cultural exchange in the region, the honorary publisher of this year's fair, Publishing House "Clio" from Belgrade, whose director and founder was awarded Zoran Hamovic attended the programs and presented some of the releases of that famous house.
During one of the programs of the Book Fair, Hamović reminded that this year "Clio" celebrates 30 years since the publication of the first book. Their publishing concept is characterized by profiled editions, from world prose, history, anthropology, psychology, communication and media studies, management and marketing, ecology, essay writing, via theory, history and criticism of artistic practice, to librarianship, museology and educational policy.

"Archipelag" from Belgrade was awarded for the best edition, for "Golden Fleece".
"'Golden Fleece' is the basic edition of 'Archipelago', launched at the same time as the publishing house was launched. It is an edition in which we publish books by contemporary Serbian and world writers and in which we search for new, good, interesting stories, which transcend borders and which are a testimony of ours, but can be a testimony for any other time. Literature is one of the last spaces where all voices can speak, where differences can exist, without the need to cancel each other out", said the editor-in-chief and director of the IC, Gojko Božović.
3 special awards were awarded by the jury, namely: award for preservation of film heritage and development of film culture in Montenegro to the Montenegrin Cinematheque, award for contribution to research into the culture of Piva and Durmitor To the Association of Pivljana and recognition for the contribution to the publication of multilingual editions to the International Center for Peace from Sarajevo
"History of the Art of Montenegro", published by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, was declared the best-equipped book at this year's fair, while recognition for its contribution to the improvement of children's publishing was awarded to the Publishing House "Kašmir promet" from Zagreb.
The publishing venture award was presented JU Narodna bliblioteka Budva, for Collected works Stefan Mitrova Ljubiša, as well as the Embassy of Palestine in Montenegro, which presented the two main books "My way to Palestine" by the journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina Adis Deljković and "Palestinian Nakba" professor Hajrudina Somuna. The Budva Public Library was also awarded for the best equipped stand.

The Ministry of Education of Montenegro and UNICEF received the award for the promotion of electronic creativity. Kindergartens "Đina Vrbica" and "Ljubica Popović" were awarded for creating new readers, and the Universities of Donja Gorica, Mediteran and the University of Montenegro were awarded for improving the educational process.
"History of the Art of Montenegro", published by CANU, was declared the best equipped book at this year's fair
Special awards were also given, namely: for the preservation of film heritage and the development of film culture in Montenegro, the Montenegrin Cinematheque, for the contribution to research into the culture of Piva and Durmitor To the Association of Pivljana and recognition for the contribution to the publication of multilingual editions to the International Center for Peace from Sarajevo.
Recognition was also given to the Sarajevo Book Fair, for the organized exhibition of award-winning works from the 2023 Sarajevo Book Fair.
The International Podgorica Book and Education Fair was held from May 14th to 100.000th in the garage of the "Big Fashion" mall, under the slogan "XNUMX reasons to come". At the end, the organizers congratulated all the awardees, with thanks to all the participants, visitors and patrons.
Bonus video:
