Literary and cultural book promotions in the Balkans

Recent cultural events in the Balkan region have focused on the presentation of historical and theatrical literature. In Montenegro, initial presentations included works documenting the Krivokapić family lineage and the social history of the Pljevlja region during the Middle Ages.

Subsequent promotions expanded to include a historical novel in Serbia regarding the 1941 massacre in Prebilovci, as well as a co-published study in Montenegro exploring the concept of ambient theater and its relationship to regional cultural geographies. Specifically, the Student Cultural Center in Kragujevac, Serbia, hosted a presentation for Aleksandar Živković’s novel, “Prebilovačke golubice”, which depicts the tragedies of the local Serbian population in Herzegovina during World War II. In Montenegro, Janko Ljumović’s “Teatralnost mjesta: ambijentalno pozorište Crne Gore”, co-published by the Montenegrin National Theatre, Grad teatar Budva, and Matica crnogorska, analyzes how specific locations influence performance.

Further literary presentations in Montenegro included filmmaker Srđan Dragojević, who presented his novels “Paša” and “Crveni” in Herceg Novi. “Paša” is described as a Balkan western set in 19th-century Montenegro that is “fundamentally a feminist novel centered on a strong Montenegrin woman”, while “Crveni” provides a satirical vision of alternative history. Additionally, Jasenka Lalović promoted her sixth novel, “40 konaka”, at the Dodest KIC “Budo Tomović”, exploring themes of generational injustice and identity.

Recent regional activities have also highlighted mental health and psychological themes in literature. In Dubrovnik, journalist Aleksandar Stanković introduced his book, “F32”, which explores mental health. In Bjelovar, author Boris Perić presented his novel “Trauma”, examining violence and human relationships. The cinematic sector has also seen activity, with the Slovenian premiere of the satirical science fiction comedy “Virus patološke dobrote” at the Ljubljana International Film Festival, and the Montenegrin film “Vidra” being showcased at the European Film Festival in Lecce, Italy.