Croatia’s 5th “ŠtoKajČa” literary‑musical festival celebrates three dialects at Kali Library

The National Library Kali hosted the fifth edition of the “ŠtoKajČa” literary‑musical meeting, a cultural event highlighting the three principal dialects of the Croatian language – štokavian, kajkavian and čakavian. The project, initiated by Vesna Benić and coordinated with Dragom Štambuk, aimed to promote a “golden formula” that unites the dialects as a cultural good of the Republic of Croatia.

The programme opened with a performance by singer‑songwriter Mile Škar, followed by writer‑artist Darko Petrov presenting material in štokavian. Ivan Čehok, lecturer at the University of North and a promoter of kajkavian, performed a kajkavian song, while Mimi Zadarski showcased poetry in čakavian. Teacher Ines Kolega presented Kaljski poetry, and the audience responded enthusiastically, filling the library to capacity.

Organisers thanked the library director Tomislava Radović for hospitality and emphasized the event’s role in preserving linguistic diversity across Croatia’s regions.