Literary and cultural book promotions in the Balkans

Various literary works focusing on philosophy, cultural heritage, and war-era testimonies are being promoted across the Balkan region.

In early October, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted the presentation of the first Bosnian translation of Leo Tolstoy’s ‘The Path to Life’, a collection of reflections on morality and spirituality. Concurrently, in Zadar, Croatia, an event was announced for the book ‘Weekend Snipers’ by Ezio Gavazzeni, which investigates the ‘Sarajevo safari’—a practice during the Siege of Sarajevo where foreigners allegedly paid to shoot at civilians.

Later in the month, Sarajevo hosted a promotion for Ajdin Rakić’s ‘Urezano u sjećanje’, a work exploring the linguistic and cultural heritage of Bosniaks in Montenegro. In Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the book ‘Život u pramenu kose’ by Enise Grabus was presented. This work, part of the ‘Istina u sjeni’ project, documents personal testimonies regarding war crimes, sexual violence, and family losses during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On October 24, Kraljeva Sutjeska hosted the presentation of a scientific collection titled ‘Posljedice nestanka Bosanskoga Kraljevstva’ (Consequences of the Disappearance of the Bosnian Kingdom). Held as part of the ‘Dani kraljice Katarine’ manifestation, the publication features 17 scientific papers analyzing the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463 through archaeology, history, and art history. The collection was produced following an international meeting in Mostar commemorating the 600th anniversary of the birth of Queen Katarina Kosača Kotromanić.