Novi Sad’s Kaleidoscope of Culture, in its fifth and most significant edition so far, is entering its third week dedicated to literature, which will be opened by the two-day Booktown programme, on 17 and 18 September, with guest appearances by the contemporary European, regional, and local authors, as well as the most famous publishing houses. Booktown has been located in the baroque jewel of Novi Sad, in the Suburbium of the Petrovaradin Fortress for the past two years. This time around, due to the forecasted unfavourable weather conditions on the upcoming weekend, it will be held indoors at SPENS, one of the most recognisable buildings in Novi Sad.
The winner of the NIN Award, Vladimir Pištalo, one of the most respected domestic writers, Végel László, one of the most read regional writers, Vedrana Rudan, young Serbian author Aleksandar Tanurdžić, designer, visual artist, and writer Slavimir Stojanović Futro, and the Montenegrin comedians The Books of Knjige, make up just a fraction of the big names who will take part in transforming Novi Sad, within the Kaleidoscope of Culture, into a kind of kaleidoscope of the written word with the presentation of well-known publishers at the Book Fair and the traditional Book Exchange in the Booktown.
In addition to great literary names, Booktown will also be permeated with performing arts, thanks to the giants of Serbian theatre such as Vojislav Voja Brajović and Zijah Sokolović, who will play a slightly different role this time – reading children’s poetry and fairy tales. The audience can also expect Petar Božović in the monodrama ‘Reče mi jedan čoek, ćeraćemo se još, kad budem mlađi’, as well as one of the most famous Slovenian musicians, Zoran Predin, and the band Lačni Franc, on their farewell tour.
The two-day Booktown programme will be available in the afternoon already, on Saturday and Sunday, with a focus on the youngest members of the audience. In addition to Brajović and Sokolović, the programme will be completed by the concert of the Čarolija choir, conducted by Leontina, and the performances of the Zvončići and Kolibri children’s choirs, as well as children’s operas ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’.
PROGRAMME AND SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER
SPENS, First floor
3 – 10 p.m. / Book Fair
3 – 10 p.m. / City Library Stand
4 – 10 p.m. / Book Exchange in Booktown
SPENS, Hall no. 8 (Entrance from Radnička Street)
3 – 10 p.m. / Multimedia installation ‘In Mika’s Handwriting’
SPENS, Main Stage
3 p.m. / Leontina and Čarolija Choir
4 p.m. / Conversation with Végel László, and the promotion of his book and translation ‘Neoplanta or the Promised Land’
5 p.m. / Presentation of 11 publishers from abroad, International Literary Festival ‘Fellowship Novi Sad’
9 p.m. / The Books of Knjige
11 p.m. / Farwell concert of Zoran Predin and Lačni Franz
SPENS, Amphitheatre
3 p.m. / Concert of Zvončići Children’s Choir
4 p.m. / Conversation ‘Literary Growing Up: From Children’s to Young Adult’
8.30 p.m. / Monodrama ‘Reče mi jedan čoek, ćeraćemo se još, kad budem mlađi’ performed by Petar Božović
10.30 p.m. / Film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
SPENS, Ground floor
5 p.m. / Nataša Kramberger (Slovenia), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Rosella Postorino (Italy), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Sophie Daull (France), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Radu Pavel Gheo (Romania), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Ljuba Arnautović (Austria), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Stefan Bradić (Serbia), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Cornelia Hülmbauer (Austria), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Ben Clark (Spain), Literature Night
5 p.m. / Vojislav Voja Brajović Reads Children’s Poetry to Children
7.30 p.m. / Promotion of the book ‘Pomračenje Plavog Meseca’ by Milica Milanović
9.30 p.m. / Conversation with Stefan Mitić Tićmi
SPENS
6 p.m. / Promotion of books by PPM Enklava publishing ‘Enklava – Meeting the Verses of the Future’
SUNDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER
SPENS, First floor
3 – 10 p.m. / Book Fair
3 – 10 p.m. / City Library Stand
4 – 10 p.m. / Book Exchange in Booktown
4 p.m. / Bookbinding Workshop
SPENS, Hall no. 8 (Entrance from Radnička Street)
3 – 10 p.m. / Multimedia installation ‘In Mika’s Handwriting’
SPENS, Main Stage
2.30 p.m. / Concert of Kolibri Children’s Choir
3 p.m. / Promotion of ‘The Anthology of Poetry in Novi Sad, from the 17th Century to the Present Day’
4 p.m. / Conversation with Aleksandar Tanurdžić
5 p.m. / Promotion of the book ‘Značenje Džokera’ by Vladimir Pištalo
6 p.m. / Conversation with Slavimir Stojanović Futro
8 p.m. / Conversation with Vedrana Rudan, moderator: Tanja Peternek
9 p.m. / Special Presentation of the book ‘The River – A Different Danube Anthology’
SPENS, Amphitheatre
3 p.m. / Children’s opera ‘Little Red Riding Hood’
4 p.m. / Children’s Opera ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’
6 p.m. / Zijah Sokolović Reads Fairy Tales to Children
7 p.m. / Promotion of the book ‘Wine škola’ by Dejan Živkoski
8 p.m. / Spoken word programme ‘Enigma Variations’, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
9.30 p.m. / Film ‘Charade’
SPENS, Ground floor
3 p.m. / Promotion of the publication ‘Breviary of the Streets of Novo Naselje’
4 p.m. / Promotion of short-story collection ‘Srebrne Šume’ by Sara Zdravković
5 p.m. / Discussion about the book ‘Piramide dana’ by the Lithuanian author Daina Opolskaite
7 p.m. / Joint reading ‘Literary Machine’
Unfortunately, due to the illness of a member of the ensemble of the Serbian National Theatre, the premiere of Kokan Mladenović’s play ‘Što na podu spavaš’ has been cancelled, as well as the promotion of the book ‘Neoštrine’ by Sanja Savić Milosavljević due to the illness of author.
Admission to all events is free of charge.
The Kaleidoscope of Culture lasts until 7 October, and after literature week, visual arts week follows, while at the end, applied arts week awaits us.
Partners of the Kaleidoscope of Culture 2022 are Erste Bank, IDEA, DDOR, A1 Srbija and Heineken Srbija.
Photo: Nebojša Babić, Rino Gropuzzo, Prom
