The director of the fair, Mrs Magdalena Vodopija, described the programme, organized by the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK), the City of Ljubljana and the Ljubljana-based public institute for tourism Turizem Ljubljana as magnificent. She emphasized that the fair had never hosted a regional programme before that featured so many interesting and top authors, and added that Ljubljana bere – Ljubljana reads turned out to be the focal programme due to its rich creative scene and exquisite content. The programme, conceived by Renata Zamida (JAK), generated a lot of interest among the visitors due to its intent to present and promote all facets of Slovenian literature and art or, in other words, "to provide insight into the Slovenian microcosm from all possible angles."
The programme Ljubljana bere – Ljubljana Reads included both Slovenian authors and musicians. The honorary task of opening the programme fell to the legendary group Laibach, to visual artists Metka Krašovec, Alenka Sottler, Hana Stupica and Jure Eržen who stunned the audience at the Pula Gallery Night and, last but not least, to the beguilling Slovenian cuisine provided by Turizem Ljubljana.
Much has already been reported about the fair (Slovenian Gallery Night in Pula and Slovenian Authors in the Focus of the Pula Book Fair), but some words also have to be devoted to the final days of the festival as well as to the visiting authors.
The performance of the marvellous Svetlana Makarovič in front of a packed house represented the pinnacle of the event before the fair's conclusion. She performed chansons from her album Kdor gleda ljudi skozi mačje oči (Those Who See People Through Cat's Eyes) accompanied by violinist and vocalist Jelena Ždrale, bass player Nino de Gleria, pianist Joži Šalej and vocalists Aphra Tesla, Tomaž Mihelič – Marlena and Ivan Rupnik. The concert by master singer-songwriter Zoran Predin, who has many fans among Croatian music enthusiasts, was highly popular as well.
The same can also be said for the last two readings by Slovenian authors attended by writer and culture journalist Mojca Kumerdej, who read from her collection of short stories titled Temna snov (Dark Matter, Beletrina, 2011), and Agata Tomažič, who attracted a vast audience during the discussion about her essayist-like collection of coverages titled Zakaj potujete v take dežele? (Why Do You Travel to Such Countries?, Cankarjeva založba, 2016). During a special literary event, Josip Osti, Sinan Gudžević and Andrew Zawacki paid hommage to two Slovenian poetry greats, Aleš Debeljak and Tomaž Šalamun.
Media coverage:
http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/osmi-dan-prispevki/174442404
http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/prispevki-in-izjave-kultura/174441548