The current BOOKA 2023 Book Fair takes place in a new, attractive space. Interesting programs, always inspiring Sherbedzija, writers, conversations... Behind the Salon stands the New Book from Podgorica and its first man, Predrag Uljarević. Uljarević is this year's winner of the highest national award, the Trianestojul Award. Arta reminds readers:
- The BOOKA regional festival of books and writers is being held in Podgorica for the fifteenth time this year. Hundreds of books and authors were presented, including some of the most significant regional and world names, such as the great Polish poet Adam Zagajevski and a Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk. This year's Festival was opened by Rade Šerbedžija with a book promotion and a concert with his band Zapadni kolodvor.
The BOOKA 2023 festival is taking place for the first time in a completely new space, the Kosmos bookstore in the Master Quarter. Kosmos bookshop suddenly became the center of cultural events in the city - a real small cultural center.
In the new Kosmos bookstore in the Master quarter, in the coming period we will organize several different programs such as Conversations in Cosmos, Author in Cosmos, Poetry in Cosmos, Philosophy in Cosmos, Psychology in Cosmos. We will try to bring big names to our programs, and we plan to introduce a brand new special program called Popular in Cosmos which will be an opportunity for the readers themselves to edit the content via social networks, email and verbally, to suggest guests and to vote for the events and guests they would like to see.
Šerbedžija is always a welcome guest in Montenegro, and his concerts and performances always bring a special atmosphere...
I would say that Šerbedžija is part of the publishing house Nova knjiga and Kosmos knjižara - it has been present on our programs for a number of years. Rade Šerbedžija is really seductive and controversial, glamorous and ambivalent, as he said about him Dusan Jovanovic. As interesting as he is on stage, even when he leaves the stage, Šerbedzija continues to spread that special atmosphere you are talking about. He is the last great Southern nostalgic who does not lose hope in the possibility of restoring togetherness in some other, artistic form.
As a publisher, how do you see current opportunities in local culture? Culture is a sensitive phenomenon, do the current rulers have an ear for it? Or are they similar to the former?
Culture cannot survive without the consent of the ruling political structures, but this is only conditionally so - we are witnesses that many cultural projects that were ignored by the government in the past period, survived thanks to vitality, creativity and innovation. A good example is the International Podgorica Book Fair, which refused to be closed in some autistic, local space, and which nurtured openness, multiculturalism and commitment to undoubted values in culture, and precisely such a concept is convincing enough in itself that the audience recognized the efforts and enthusiasm organizers to survive and to carry out a mission which, in my opinion, is of the highest order. It is the same with the BOOKA Festival, which is recognized in Montenegro, but also in the wider region, as a project that best affirms the highest values of Montenegro and its culture.
Therefore, support for culture must be much greater in all segments, including in publishing, which is the elementary, fundamental carrier of the cultural phenomenon. Support for culture is always two-way, this is known by serious politicians, who, even when they are not from the area of culture, know that the most important support is the one they expect from cultural institutions, which do not directly create policy, but can play a strong role in that process. By supporting or refusing to support the cultural policies of the ruling party and individuals, they send clear signals about their lack of foundation or foundation in the cultural being of the people.
In the previous period, there was an ear for culture, but not to a sufficient extent, there were some people in culture who really knew how to recognize true values, but there was no cultural policy, more precisely, even though it existed, it was not in accordance with the proclaimed European values. and that made it impossible to support institutions or individuals in accordance with the results of their work, but this support was conditioned by their willingness to accept political rules and to apply them in culture.
The mere change of government has not yet brought about any significant changes in culture, moreover, things have remained the same in many respects, but I hope that the conditions have finally been met to establish transparent and measurable parameters and that what is valuable will be recognized in the area of culture .
In the countries of the region, books supported by the Ministry of Culture have a special status, and their publishers are obliged to distribute these books in the bookstore network. This is not the case with us?
It is necessary to clearly regulate state aid systems through tenders and through the purchase of books and through other mechanisms that we still don't have. Funds are distributed at competitions in publishing, and the most important parameter is not taken into account - how and where the published books end up, whether they are available in bookstores in Montenegro and the region. Unfortunately, most often the obtained funds are spent so that support to the publishing house makes it impossible to distribute books, because the so-called "samizdat" does not have the space or technical capabilities to regularly distribute books in an organized, fiscalized system.
Even some small publishers are not able to organize a quality marketing campaign, promotions and distribution of books in bookstores, even in Montenegro. In this sense, it would be necessary when announcing the competition, that those who independently request support from the Ministry of Culture, along with the necessary documentation, have previously concluded contracts with companies that undertake the obligation of distribution. This is also necessary in order to organize the distribution of books in the time of fiscalization in accordance with the principles prescribed by the revenue administration, which implies that when selling books, a part of the funds is returned to the state through VAT.
You published several novels this year (Bečanović, Nelević, Brković, Vorgić) along with several other books by newer authors (Nikolić, Vuković...) It would seem, at least judging by your publications, that this was an interesting (literary) year?
I think that this is an extremely interesting year in that sense, it is simply important for our culture that in one year we had an enviable number of new books by authors who create in Montenegro. This is important, not only in terms of the number of editions, but also in terms of the literary reach achieved in the mentioned works. Like it or not, the vitality of the cultural scene is measured by new books, new theater performances, new works of art, and cultural content.
In this sense, in Montenegro, given the fact that it is a small geographical area, and also a small number of inhabitants, literature is created that does not lag behind the great literatures of neighboring countries. It was like that in all times - it should be borne in mind that Njegoš, as "the only literary gorostas", obliged all generations to try to live in accordance with that Njegoš literary tradition, which does not mean that they should imitate him, but neither should they neglect his epoch-making deed. That binding Njegošev paradigm requires from contemporary writers full commitment to literary work, and full self-awareness about it.
I think that the generation of writers present on the literary scene in Montenegro, many of whom are published by our publishing house, deserves much greater attention and appreciation from the cultural and reading public. Somehow it turns out that our writers first have to gain affirmation abroad, in order to be accepted in their home culture. We have identified our cultural mission with the need to recognize authentic values in Montenegro before others point them out to us.
What will the next 18th Book Fair look like?
I believe that this time the Ministry of Culture and the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City, finally, after so many years of ignoring the Fair, partially by the Ministry of Culture and completely by the Capital City, recognized the importance and development possibilities of the International Podgorica Book Fair as the most massive cultural manifestation in our country. and that next year again, to the satisfaction of readers and the cultural public of Montenegro, we will have the opportunity to enjoy the high-quality exhibition programs of the Fair, in numerous accompanying programs, with the participation of important guests, as well as with the guest Earth, in a new environment in which the International the Podgorica book fair looks like international fairs in European cities.
In order for this dream of ours to come true, we all need to contribute to send a clear message that the cultural face of Montenegro has irreversibly changed for the better. In this way, we will best encourage our cultural policy to support European values in culture, and see for ourselves that we are an inseparable part of the European cultural scene.
What, in your opinion, is the most urgent thing that should be changed in Montenegrin culture?
The most urgent thing is to get rid of the "small culture" complex, and to affirm to the greatest extent possible what legitimizes us as a great culture that inherits Miroslav's Gospel, the Octohy, and so many incunabula printed in Obodska štampraija - the first state printing house in the South Slavs.
In this sense, it is necessary to define a cultural policy that will encourage cultural creators by providing them with conditions for work, and evaluating their works in accordance with the highest possible criteria, which would imply full autonomy of culture in Montenegro. We must change the pernicious habits of treating culture as a tool for political bribery, in which there is corruption that has not been seen in any other field, and which has cost us too much.
New books and new years always make us happy...
I like the metaphor that a New Book is like a New Year - we are privileged in that sense, because every few days during the year, we present new books! Finally, I would like to wish your readers all the best in the new year, with a sincere wish that you read the best books. With the slogan: The best books for the best years! Because all years are the best with books!
Bonus video:
