Reading Balkans: Borders vs. Frontiers is a continuation of the project Reading Balkans that was supported by Creative Europe in 2017. This time we have put in the focus topics of borders and cooperation with refugee writers – at the time when old wounds from Balkan Wars have not yet been healed, the question of our borders still not solved, new politics of fear and nationalism is built when refugees are crossing our region (and actual border walls are built as well) – through our activities we want to work on dialogue, debate and deeper understanding of our actual problems.
The project is a cooperation of the Publishing House Goga (SI), Goten Publishing (MK), Udruženje Krokodil (SRB), Udruga Kurs (CRO), Poeteka (AL), Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo), PEN Centre (BIH), Traduki and other sponsors and donators. The Reading Balkans project is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
The project implements three main activities:
-Transnational mobility: writers in residencies. Writers’ transnational mobility will be increased through 42 residential fellowships. The fellowships include the possibility of writers to work on their new texts, to exchange views, get new creative impulses, get new sample translations, and the possibility to work with the Literary Agent.
-Capacity building – New business models/ Digitalisation: The Literary Agent for literatures of the Balkans is a new business model for literary actors in these regions as well as for intensive promotion of Balkan writers and the branding of Balkan literature.
-Intercultural dialogue and social integration of migrants and refugees as well as training and education. Workshops for migrants and refugees in Ljubljana will be centred around creative writing and performance. We will encourage intercultural dialogue by means of festivals Borders vs. Frontiers and Exile in Language to which prominent authors with refugee experience from the Balkans will be invited as well as writers refugees from countries such as Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. who currently reside in Europe.