As part of the preparatory activities prior to the project “Slovenia – Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair”, the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK) hosted the third annual study visit for German-speaking publishers and journalists between 23 and 26 November 2017. The visit was included in the programme of the 2017 Slovenian Book Fair.

This year, the organizers invited the following distinguished representatives of publishing and media companies from the German-speaking realm: German publishers Sebastian Guggolz (Guggolz Verlag); Janika Rüter (Suhrkamp Verlag); Sewastos Sampsounis (Größenwahn Verlag); Anja Schutzbach (Weissbooks); Jörg Sundermeier and Kristine Listau (Verbrecher Verlag); Swiss publishers Urs Bolz (AS Verlag) and Fabienne Leisibach (Baeschlin Verlag); German journalist Jörg Plath (Deutschlandradio Kultur); German freelance journalists and authors Nils Kahlefendt and Leander Steinkopf; the Director of the Leipzig Book Fair, Mr Oliver Zille; and the Head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Publishers & Booksellers Association, Mr Detlef Bluhm, who is currently in the process of assembling a photo book dedicated to Ljubljana – the capital of Slovenia.

Our journey began on 23 November at the Slovenian Book Fair, where the participants immersed into the lively beat of the event. They seized the opportunity to meet a string of Slovenian publishers and engage in interesting conversations about the Slovenian and the German book market and about the respective publishing approaches. The visit also featured an official working meeting.

In addition to selected book fair events (a viewing of a biopic dedicated to Florjan Lipuš, a conversation with Axel Scheffler etc.), our guests took a stroll along several Ljubljana sights, enjoyed a tour of the Manuscript Department of the National and University Library (NUK), and attended a private screening of the feature film Izbrisana (The Erased), directed by Miha Mazzini, who is also the author of the namesake novel on which the movie is based. The screening was followed by a discussion with the distinguished author himself.

Our esteemed guests were also treated to an all-day trip to the Karst region of Slovenia. Accompanied by acclaimed translators Amalija Maček and Ludwig Hartinger, the company visited Lipica Stud Farm, the Oskar Kogoj Nature Deign Gallery in Miren, the Škocjan Caves, and even made their way across the Italian border to meet with dr. Miran Košuta, Professor of Slovenian Literature at the University of Trieste.

The book fair, the vibrant hustle and bustle, personal meetings with authors, and the hidden gems of a land previously unknown to most of the participants, made quite an impression on our guests, particularly in light of Slovenia’s scheduled participation as “Guest of Honour” at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2022 – a unique opportunity for the country to awaken and spark more interest for its literary endeavours among the international sphere.

The next study visit, scheduled for 2018, will be open to publishers and journalists from all over the world and will not be limited to representatives of the German-speaking realm exclusively.

A photographic recap of this year’s study visit (by participants Urs Bolz and Sewastos Sampsounis) is featured below.

Media coverage:
Jörg Plath (Deutschlandradio Kultur, in German)
http://ondemand-mp3.dradio.de/file/dradio/2017/12/06/wo_lyriker_noch_stars_werden_koennen_buchmesse_in_drk_20171206_1050_6b579a61.mp3