"Almost an Award-Winning Writer", Short Stories and AI

The jubilee, tenth LiTerritory, a regional literary festival organized by KIC "Budo Tomović", brought together authors of different poetics and experiences last night: Damir Šodan, Ljiljana Ćuk i Selvedin Avdic. Through a conversation led by a literary critic Vladimir Arsenijeć, the audience had the opportunity to peek into the processes of the creation of literary works, but also to hear how contemporary authors reflect on freedom, profession, and their relationship to the audience.

Speaking about his creative path, Selvedin Avdić emphasized that journalism and literature represent two important segments of his professional life, but that it is in literature that he finds a space without limits. As he said, while journalism involves certain frameworks and challenges, writing literature remains a place where he does not accept compromises. He especially emphasized that freedom and the preservation of personal dignity are values ​​that he considers fundamental in any form of work.

Ljiljana Ćuk spoke about the specific position of an author who simultaneously promotes literature and presents the work of other creators. According to her, promotion requires clearly defined rules and an objective approach, while writing is a much more intimate and demanding process. She also recalled the experience of publishing her second collection, when she decided not to use her own promotional tools in order to check how the work would be received without additional support from the author. The result, she says, was sincere and very encouraging reactions from the audience and critics.

Damir Šodan addressed the position of artists in different social systems. Although he spent part of his professional career in the Netherlands working as a translator for international institutions, he emphasized that he had no experience of the status of a freelance artist in that country. However, he believes that authors there have enjoyed strong institutional support for years, along with significant administrative responsibility. The situation in Croatia, he added, is much more uneven – from authors who manage to make a living from their work to those who face existential uncertainty on a daily basis.

A special tone of the evening was given by Avdić's review of literary awards and the expectations that accompany them. With a recognizable dose of humor, he said that he was more often among the finalists than among the laureates, and therefore prefers to call himself an "almost awarded writer". Speaking about the book dedicated to Zenica and its steelworks, he emphasized that the most valuable to him were the reactions of readers who recognized their own families and life destinies in these stories. It was precisely the return of focus to people, and not only to industrial achievements, that was one of the key motives for the creation of this work.

The topic of the short story raised the question of the literary market's relationship to different forms. Ćuk said that the short story was a natural choice for her long before she became aware that the publishing scene significantly favored novels. Although she understands market mechanisms and reading habits, she sees no reason to change her own authorial expression to adapt to dominant trends.

The discussion ended with a focus on translation and the increasing presence of artificial intelligence. Šodan believes that technology will undoubtedly change the way translation work is done, especially when it comes to technical aspects. However, he is convinced that literary translation, especially poetry, remains an area in which human sensitivity, interpretation and a deep understanding of the author are indispensable.

After the literary program, the audience attended the poetic and musical performance "The Other is (not) Me", which performed by Barbara Delac i Marija VujosevicThrough a combination of poetry, music, movement and video art, the authors opened up questions of identity, heritage and interpersonal relationships, creating a layered and intimate experience that dramatically rounded out the festival evening.