MORE CAPILARITY
In the last two years, besides the five partner organizations, READ project included
financial support to third parties, civil society organizations from North Macedonia,
Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Turkey, that could apply for innovative multilingual and
intercultural projects. During 2022, more than half a million people have been
reached, i.e. five times more that the preceeding year. We hope that this year the
impact has been even stronger, as the number of projects awarded with a subgrant
has been considerably bigger than in 2022, which means that more participants were
engaged. In total, there were 16 subgrants for intercultural projects and for 22 for
multilingual ones.
Here are the introductary outlines of some of them.
INTERCULTURAL PROJECTS
The project “Wednesday Writers Club”, of the organization Fondacioni Ecokult
(Albania), included several activities supporting young writers from Western Balkans.
Young writers applied and were selected on the basis of their ideas for a short story
they wanted to develop during the project, for which they were provided each one
with a mentor. The main condition was that they had to write about a social issue of
their own country or about a set of such issues. After many applications, five young
writers were selected: from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Turkey, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Besides discussions with the respective mentors, they could share opinions and
comments with each other. At the end of this literary journey, their short stories were
published in the website asphalt.al and were promoted in the social networks of the
project.
The ultimate goal of the project “Disability”, of the association Kontrapukt (Skopje),
was the printing and promotion of a disability-themed picture book. It is a picture
book: “Seven Threads of the Sun” by Dragana Mladenović (Belgrade, author of the
text) and Ines Georgievska (Skopje, author of the illustrations). This was achieved after
a competition between 43 manuscripts from Macedonia and Serbia (24 in
Macedonian, 19 in Serbian) on the topic of disability. The competition was organized
by the association Kontrapunkt (Skopje) and the publishing house Templum (Skopje),
and the Serbian partners were the Center for Biopolitical Education Biopolis (Belgrade)
and the Cultural Center Shabac (Shabac).
The project “Queer literature in Kosovo”, of Sekhmet Institute, consist in two events:
readinfs of queer literature from different countries of the world, and discussion about
the books. Its aim is the documentation of queer literature, and the enhancement of
the awareness of the public for this litetary genre, so that it could have a role in the
legitimation of this genre in Kosovo’s culture and in the context of the vindication of
LGBT+.
In the framework of its project "Reading cultures", Volonterski Centar Volvodine
organized five gatherings, each on the topic of a different book from an author from
the region. The books chosen were: Richard Gere was here by Tristan Halilaj (Albania),
I'm not going anywhere by Rumena Bužarovska (North Macedonia), Inner sea by
Danica Vukićević (Serbia), White castle by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey), and My cat
Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci Kosovo. The aims of the gatherings were to promote
regional literature, but also to facilitate the exchange of opinions, experiences and
insights about the topics that the books deal with, which range from feminism and
gender roles, to dealing with the past. Aslo, a book swap is organized, aiming at
facilitating the free exchange of books, including those which can be harder to access,
between the reading community in Novi Sad.
The main aim of the project “Empowerment and Promotion of Regional Intercultural
Network of Women, Artists and Artisans” (Regional Development Agency), Albania,
carried out by VRDA Foundation, Albania, is regional intercultural networking of
women and young artisans. It is an endeavour for creating a bridge with the young
artisan and artist that connects the region. It showcased a diverse range of creative
talents and brought together artisans and artists from various fields, and provided a
platform for these individuals to display their unique creations and connect with a
wider audience.
The publication of the antology of poetry Republika is a project of the organization
Social Creativity, Kosovo. It contains fifteen poems, and Albanian and in English, by
participants in the Fifth Edition of REPUBLIKA International Festival of Poetry.
The project “New Balkan children's dramas as tools in youth creative development”
was carried out within the framework of fhe fourth edition of the Theater Festival for
Children SILJAN STRKOT Prilep, by the North Macedonian organization MAL TEATAR
Prilep (Small Theater Prilep). The project included two dramatic theater texts, one by
the Turkish author Sema Ali Erol and the other by the Kosovar author Arian Krasniqi,
which were translated, published and interpreted in the organization of MAL TEATAR
Prilep in cooperation with “Kliment Ohridski” school and Gymnasium “Mirce Acev” in
Prilep.
“Toward a Future through the Past” is a project of the Tirana based organization ZETA
Contemporary Art Center. It is rooted in the notions of time as specific to Tirana’s
population members of different ages: youngsters (standing for the ‘Future’) and
elders (standing for the ‘Past’), with middle-aged citizens mediating in-between. In
order to bridge the gap between them, the project was conceived with an idea that
cultural work and artistic practice (promoting the debate on reading and film in
relation to the problems of the third age in literature, cinematography and music)
could be an innovative model of mutual care for each other.
MULTILINGUAL PROJECTS
The project “Memento: Discovering Identity by Remembering Society”, of Ardıç
Solidarity Association (Turkey) consisted in the translation in Serbian language of a
book form children of the Turkish author Seran Demiral and the related promotion
activities. It was carried out in cooperation with several Serbian organizations. The
project aimed to promote intercultural tolerance and regional cooperation right from
the start. Its focus on migration and human interaction within diverse societies not
only addressed a specific theme but also unveiled shared challenges and cultural and
literary activities among various organizations from Serbia and Turkey.
The main objective of the project Night bus goes Serbia of the Association Kulturanova
(Serbia) was to contribute to the development of cultural cooperation between Serbia
and North Macedonia in the field of literature, as well as to the promotion of literary
works created in the Macedonian language in Serbia, thus improving access to the
Western Balkans literary works. The main activities of the project consisted in the
translation of the book Veceren avtobus (The Night Bus), written by Stefan Alijevikj,
from North Macedonia, its publication, the distribution of the book in Novi Sad and
other cities in Vojvodina and Serbia, and promotion of the book in Novi Sad.
Also within the framework of READ, the association Literary and Cultural Activism,
based in Korça, Albania, carried out the project “Neighbors in Front of the Mirror”, by
organizing the processes of translation, publication and promotion of Powder Keg, of
the North Macedonian playwright Dejan Dukovski. Several literary events for the
discussion of this book were organized in the region of Korça, stressing the fact that
the neighborhood of this region with North Macedonia and Greece provides a
possibility for exchanges with the respective cultural worlds.
The association SCHTRICH (Skopje) published the book Two Interactive Plays by
Milorad Pavić, translated from Serbian into Macedonian by Mario Stojanoski. The book
consists of two plays: A Bed for Three and The Glass Snail, written by one of the most
eminent writers of the 20th century. A Bed for Three is a subtle metaphor of humanity,
drawing on the story about Adam and Eve. It deals with human relationships and
subjects like marriage, family, love and betrayal. The Glass Snail, on the other hand, is
a mixture of several seemingly unrelated events taking place on Christmas Eve. It's
important to say that both of these plays are interactive, meaning they invite the
audience to partake. The audience is a metaphor of humanity, and its decisions during
the play are metaphors of the big decisions people have made throughout history.
OYCED (Playwrights and Translators Association), located in İstanbul, carried out the
project of thw publication of the play named 9, of the Macedonian author Goce
Ristovski. OYCED organized a launchment with the participation of the writer as
well. The professionals from the theater sector mentioned their interest to use the text
for their future projects. This project has served as a bridge for both countries and
their artistic interaction. It ensures an opportunity for the readers and theater
audience, especially the young people, to gain a different insight of cultural diversity.
The translation of French Camp, a book of the young author’s Enna Mesarosh, from
Serbian to Macedonian language was implemented by UMNO ‐ Association for
Promotion of Culture, Education and Science, based in Skopje. This is a novel for
teenagers, written by a teenager who was a victim of bullying, and focuses on teenage
insecurity, bullying and other problems. The book was distributed to high schools and
libraries in more than 20 towns in North Macedonia. Now the book is available for
many teenagers.
“Harpa” Foundation, Albania, carried out the project of the publication of the novel
Desa, of the Macedonian writer Ivana Trojanoska, translated into Albanian by Milena
Selimi. This publication is an important contribution to the literary landscape of the
country, due to the quality of the novel, which deals with fundamental topics and can
stimulate the debate about gender dynamics and a reflection on the self and on the
challenges of life. The project bringhs the Macedonian literary world closer to the
Albanian readership, and contributes to a deeper intercultural awareness.
"The Moment I Knew War Started" project, carried out by the Serbian organization
Youth Initiative for Human Rights, aimed to foster understanding, empathy, and
dialogue in post-Yugoslav countries through various activities. The homonymous book
consisted of short stories written by accomplished regional authors and stories
selected through an anonymous public call, which received more than 250
submissions. The stories from Albanian-speaking authors added depth and diversity to
the overall narrative presented in the book. Another significant activity was the
translation of the book into Albanian, as it aimed to provide access to Albanian-
speaking readers, who were previously unable to engage with the book due to
language barriers. The project's two promotional events played a pivotal role. One
took place in Prishtina, the other occurred at the KROKODIL festival in Belgrade.
Local Action Group Agro Lider, North Macedonia, carried out the project "Youth
Female Voices of the Balkan Rural Poetry III". It consisted in the publication and
promotion of a book of poetry, of the Turkish author Gonca Özmen. The book already
has been widely distributed throughout the Pelagian region and other cities, not only
in the urban areas, but in the rural municipalities with ethically mixed environment. It
is was sent to a large number of libraries, schools and stakeholders in the mentioned
region, followed by distribution in Skopje and other cities of the country. The author
was present online in North Macedonia during the planned promotional event that
took place in Prilep. Earlier that day, the book and the Project were presented live on
Pela Radio. The author was also invited to participate in Struga Poetry Evenings.
“Luzitanija” project, of the Albanian organization Qendra per Edukim dhe Sport Skills,
aims to contribute for the promotion tolerance and mutual recognition between
Albanians and Serbs, two nations with a historical background of conflicts with each
other. This project consist in the translation, publication and promotion of the
homonimous book of the wellknown Serbian contemporary author Dejan Atanackovic.
The book has been distributed in primary and secondary schools in the town of Cërrik,
where the organization in based and deploys its activities.
The project “Translation of Selected Poems by Arian Leka into Serbian”, implemented
by Srebno Drvo, Belgrade, Serbia, consists in the translation, publication and
promotion of a selection of Arian Leka’s poems in Serbian. Arian Leka is one of the
most important contemporary Albanian writers, whose poetry are dedicated to the sea
and the relations of Albanians with the sea, including the plight of Albanian immigrants
after 1991. The poems were translated by Merima Krijezi, while the promotion of the
book took place during 17 th Festival of European poetry in Belgrade “Trgni se! Poezija!”
in October 2023. The main aim of the project is promotion of important regional poets
and presenting them to Serbian readership.
