Slovenian literary festival “Fabula” announced the dates

The annual “Literature sveta – Fabula” festival dedicated to famous Slovenian and world writers will take place in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana this spring.

In 2024, the festival will be held from March 1 to 22. The author who will present his book at the opening will be Paul Guasch.

Besides, the organizers have also announced the traditional Young Fabula youth program.

The full agenda of the festival is available here (in Slovenian).

It is worth mentioning that Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko made a presentation of her novel Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex at the opening of the festival in 2023. You can watch her presentation here. That year’s theme of the festival was about memory, and it was held under the slogan “(re)Construction of the Memory”.

Oksana Zabuzhko is a prominent Ukrainian author, poet, and essayist. Zabuzhko’s first novel, Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex, published in 1996, was met with great controversy both by the critics and by the readers. With its publication, the Ukrainian readership and the intellectual community faced innovative, provocative and complex feminist writing. According to a poll in 2006, this novel was recognized as “the book that most influenced Ukrainian society during the 15 years of independence”. Today it is the most widely translated work of new Ukrainian prose in the world (15 languages), included in many reading lists and ratings of modern Eastern European classics.

“Fabula – literature of the world” festival is the most significant literary festival in Slovenia. It was founded in 2003. Among the festival’s visitors are Hertha Muller, Irwin Welch, Richard Flanagan, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and many others. Five writers selected by the curatorial team are at the center of the festival. At the same time, the festival program includes discussions of the texts and debut authors. The texts of the five selected writers and one of the authors of the youth program are translated and published in Slovenian after the festival. The festival selection is traditionally published by Beletrina Academic Press.

In addition to the literary part, the festival also has a theoretical focus on a relevant social topic. The festival also has a children’s and youth program (Young Fabula), holds interactive literary exhibitions (Fabula polis), organizes cooperation with Slovenian publishing houses and bookstores (Fabula selection), and a separate program for young authors (Fabula Hub).

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As reported earlier, a Ukrainian radio show about the war was aired in Slovenia.

Translation: Valeriia Chepiha

Editing: Tanya Mykhaylychenko