A family unravels amidst war and mental illness in 1990s Croatia.As Yugoslavia crumbles, so does Mother. Ostracized for her Serbian background, her bright cheer darkens with mental illness, devouring her family. Through her daughter's wry perspective, Divine Child reveals the forces shaping individuals during economic crisis and rabid nationalism.This survival narrative explores family secrets, identity, and resilience. What happens when a mother's...

A subtle exploration of identity and displacement in post-war Bosnia.Bekim Sejranovic's From Nowhere to Nowhere follows an unnamed narrator, scattered from his Bosnian hometown during the Yugoslav Wars, as he journeys through Croatia and Norway. He grapples with reclaiming a sense of self that feels perpetually out of reach.From childhood soccer games on Unity Street to Muslim funerals, interpreting for Balkan refugees, and navigating complex relat...

Wryly incisive stories from a major contemporary Croatian voice.Robert Perišić is celebrated for his novels, but his short stories first garnered recognition, establishing him as a vital voice in Croatian literature. Horror and Huge Expenses showcases Perišić's ability to capture a wide range of experiences with humor and sharp insight.From tragic ethnic conflicts to the absurdities of globalism, Perišić fearlessly explores failure and loss, findin...

When Miroslav Krleža traveled through Russia for six months between the end of 1924 and the beginning of 1925, the celebrated Croatian writer was there to figure out what it all meant. The sprawling country was still coming to terms with the events of the 1917 revolution and reeling from Lenin's death in January 1924. During this period of profound political and social transition, Krleža opened his senses to train stations, cities, and villages and collected wildly different Russian perspe...

There is nothing easy about being the Minister of Culture of Montenegro— but the next nine days for Valentin Kovacevic will be especially difficult. During an artist' s performance, he has accidentally killed her, and now, if he hopes to preserve both his position and his sanity, he must navigate the murky corridors of government bureaucracy, cultural expectations, and relentless family pressures. The Minister, winner of the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature, is a darkly satirical p...

A collection to whet the appetite of anyone wishing to learn more about a region rich in history, folklore and (her)stories. Telling it like a woman does not mean literature for women only: it provides an insight into h alf of humanity, a window onto the lives of citizens who work, love and develop their inner lives. This collection brings together the voices of a wide selection of prize-winning and established authors:Balkan Bombshells bri...

In his novel The Eighth Wonder of the World, Plevnes takes his dark sense of humor and undeniable wit on a search for a common ground in an uncommon world. His protagonist Alexander Simsar, during the last 3.3 seconds of his life in Berlin in 1989 (weeks before the fall of Berlin Wall), envisions the creation of a monument—an eighth wonder of the world—that would embrace humanity in all its layers and countenances. In this absurdist novel, Plevnes invents a utopia that unites many...

One man's search for his true identity through an investigation of his parent's past which leads him to discover truths about the former Yugoslav secret services. Through his own unique and now recognizable style, Nikolaidis takes us into a world of criminal intrigue and a dissection of our humble human existence. Powerful, rich in philosophy.

The first of Robert Perisic’s novels to be translated into English, Our Man in Iraq gets to the heart of life made and remade by war and serves as an unforgettable introduction to a vibrant voice from Croatia that's filled with characteristic humor and insight.2003: As Croatia lurches from socialism into globalized capitalism, Toni, a cocky journalist in Zagreb, struggles to balance his fragile career, pushy family, and hotheaded girlfriend. But in a momen...

"This is a strong collection, and I look forward to reading the others in the series. I’d also happily read more." -- Lizzie Siddall This volume brings together six unique female voices: Magdalena Blazevic, Tatjana Gromaca, Vesna Peric, Natali Spasova, Sonja Zivaljevic and Ana Svetel from six countries that were part of Yugoslavia until the early 1990s. Elements of a common history shine through in this smorgasbord of classic short stories, travel writing, diarylike accounts and stand-alon...

Far from home, a fractured community of Yugoslav outcasts struggle with their lives in award–winning author Dubravka Ugrešić's novel The Ministry of Pain.Having fled the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, Tanja Lucic is now a professor of literature at the University of Amsterdam, where she teaches a class filled with other young Yugoslav exiles, most of whom earn meager wages assembling leather and rubber S&M clothing at a sweatshop they call the "Ministry."

Miljenko Jergovic’s remarkable début collection of stories, Sarajevo Marlboro – winner of the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize – earned him wide acclaim throughout Europe. Croatian by birth, Jergovic ? spent his childhood in Sarajevo and chose to remain there throughout most of the war. A dazzling storyteller, he brings a profoundly human, razor-sharp understanding of the fate of the city’s young Muslims, Croats, and Serbs with a subterranean humor and profoundly personal vision. Their off...