Uljarević: We firmly reject allegations that Nova knjiga participated in any non-transparent actions

"We firmly reject allegations that Nova knjiga participated in any non-transparent actions," Predrag Uljarević, director and editor-in-chief of the Nova knjiga publishing house, said today.

"Regarding the allegations that have appeared in the public regarding the procurement of books for certain libraries in Montenegro, we consider it necessary to present several facts, in order to accurately inform the public. The Nova knjiga publishing house has been participating in public procurement procedures for the needs of libraries across the country for many years, including city, national, school and University libraries," Uljarević emphasized in a statement.

He added that in all procedures in which it participated, Nova knjiga submitted bids in accordance with the conditions defined by the contracting authorities and within the deadlines prescribed in public calls.

"As a publisher and distributor that cooperates with the largest number of publishing houses in the region and has a fund of around 30.000 titles, we are able to respond to the demands of libraries in terms of volume, diversity and delivery times. For these reasons, Nova knjiga has been the chosen supplier in a large number of public procurement procedures in Montenegro over the years, while in some it was not selected, which is an integral part of every competitive procedure," said Uljarević.

He said that at the moment there are more than 80 full-time employees at Nova Knjiga.

"Our company employs three employees solely for the preparation and participation in public procurement procedures, which speaks volumes about the seriousness and attention we pay to compliance with procedures, preparation of documentation and professional participation in public procurement procedures. We firmly reject allegations that Nova knjiga participated in any non-transparent actions. Our role in public procurement procedures was exclusively in the capacity of a bidder, while decisions on the selection of the most favorable bid and the implementation of procedures are made by the contracting authorities in accordance with their legal powers," Uljarević stated.

According to him, Nova knjiga has built a reputation over more than two decades that goes far beyond the borders of Montenegro.

"As a partner of the world's leading literary agencies and publishers, we actively participate in the international copyright and book market, we represent Montenegrin publishing at the world's largest book fairs and we invest significant own funds in publishing major works, critical editions, translations... Within the publishing house, we also publish editions that are often not driven exclusively by commercial interest, but represent a permanent investment in the development of culture. When it comes to certain co-publishing projects that are mentioned in public, these are critical editions whose executive publisher is Nova knjiga and which are created within the framework of our copyright and publishing rights, editorial concept and months of professional work, in cooperation with domestic and regional editors and partners. Such projects, by their nature, do not represent the purchase of finished editions on the market, but the joint realization of a specific authorial and publishing work whose bearer is Nova knjiga," said Uljarević.

He also said that thanks to the New Book, Montenegro has hosted some of the biggest names in world contemporary literature, including Nobel laureates Mario Vargas Llosa, Orhan Pamuk and Olga Tokarczuk, as well as numerous other winners of the most important international literary awards.

"At the same time, we have not only brought the world to Montenegro, but we have also represented Montenegro to the world. At the most important international book fairs and other programs dedicated to culture, in cooperation with leading global companies and individuals, we have been presenting authors from Montenegro, publishing production and the contemporary literary scene of our country for years. Thanks to this, numerous domestic authors have had the opportunity to be presented to the international professional public, and Montenegrin publishing production has become more visible and present in regional, European and global publishing trends," Uljarević said.

According to him, the scope of international activities and the results that Nova knjiga has achieved in the past two decades represent achievements that go beyond the market and cultural space of Montenegro and would be worthy of attention in much larger publishing environments.

"We are convinced that such results represent a lasting value not only for Nova knjiga, but also for the overall affirmation of domestic literature and culture in the international framework. Many of the projects that Nova knjiga has implemented - from organizing guest appearances by the world's most important writers to the international promotion of authors and publishing from Montenegro - represent, in their significance, a contribution that is realized in numerous countries through national programs for the promotion of culture. As a private company, we are proud that, thanks to our own work and investments, we were able to make such a contribution to the international affirmation of our culture and literature," said Uljarević.

He said that Nova knjiga has published thousands of titles to date, including works by most of the most important domestic and foreign authors, as well as a large number of first books by Montenegrin writers to whom Nova knjiga provided the opportunity to begin their literary journey.

"It is precisely such first books that are most often not commercial projects, but rather represent an investment by publishers in the development of new authors and domestic literature. The usual publishing practice is that authors are not paid royalties in advance for such publications, but rather, if the book achieves market success, they are entitled to a contracted percentage of sales. We believe that this is precisely one of the most important social roles of a serious publisher - to recognize new authors, give them their first opportunity and permanently enrich the cultural life of the country. Such results oblige us to perform our work professionally, responsibly and transparently. This is precisely why we feel a duty to protect the professional integrity of the house that we have built over decades, as well as the trust of numerous domestic and international partners with whom we cooperate," Uljarević stated.

He also said that they believe that with this statement they have presented all the relevant facts and provided the necessary clarifications.

"This concludes our public address on this topic, convinced that the development of reading culture, the affirmation of domestic literature, and the availability of quality books represent a public interest to which we should all contribute together," concluded Uljarević.

The executive director of the consulting firm Fidelity Consulting, Miloš Vuković, said on July 7 that the issue of cooperation between the Podgorica National Library "Radosav Ljumović" and the company Nova knjiga would be raised before the competent state institutions.

On July 10, the company Fideliti Consulting published a video that they claim was recorded in the office of the director of the Radosav Ljumović National Library, Slavica Ilinčić, in which she announces that Nova knjiga has purchased the copyright to the Works of Marko Miljanov and thus becomes the sole, exclusive owner of the copyright for a certain period of time.

They asked from whom the non-existent rights were purchased, who legitimized himself as the owner of something that has belonged to no one since 1971, what exactly was charged and into which bank account the "decedent's payment" was made.

Fidelity Consulting stated on July 10 that "no one sold anything, but the 'exclusivity' was invented on camera for the purpose of Slavica's self-rescue from criminal proceedings, in front of the camera, during working hours, which is not a criminal offense, but is a diagnosis of a fabrication."