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LITERATURE
Robert Alagjozovski
The author is a literary critic
and a PhD candidate(ABD)
in Cultural Management
The lake travelled
to Europe
To the book of short stories “Everyone with their own lake” by Nenad Joldeski
This spring was a season of priz- represented genres, including the collec-
es. Last month we wrote about tions of short stories against novels. This
the prize Novel of the Year means that the publisher that will chose
of “Utrinski Vesnik” and the the work of Nenad Joldevski automatically
three young finalists. These realizes two criteria for support. On the
days, exactly before the most import ant other hand, I believe this was thought
literary event in this country, the Book out, the invitation for support of trans-
Fair, we got some surprising news. The lations is prolonged for the end of April,
young Nenad Joldeski (born in 1986) won and the names of the awarded ones were
the prestigious European Union Prize for announced much earlier than usual. In
Literature, for the collection of stories this manner, Joldeski’s book has greater
“Everyone with their own lake”. This, chances to immediately turn into one of
of course, is excellent news both for the our most translated books from our coun-
young author and for the Macedonian lit- try, and this could happen in only a year.
erature. It is an excellent promotion of the Mace-
donian literature, because once in three
Namely, the EU Prize for Literature years, a Macedonian author is the one in
is though out as a promotional asset for the list of prize winners.
promotion of the literary careers of the
young authors. In this regard, one may Maybe these facts do not have to be
say that is even excessive, same as many known to the Commission that selected
other stimulating measures implemented precisely this work. It probably had to
by the EU. Not only that the monetary align its choice with the different criteria
prize is high, even the awarding of the which always do not have purely aesthetic
prize and the series of other promotional nature. However, certainly they are very
events have great media and PR coverage, responsible for the selection. Let me point
but also the EU, within its Fund for Sup- out, a bit paradoxically. The juries of this
port of Translations, pushes precisely the European prize are national. Everyone
authors that received this prize. Accord- chooses their author and work from their
ing to the former rules, the publisher that own homes, and then this work gets a
will offer to translate a package of such European “turbine”. This provides cred-
works had 25% higher chance to get the ibility that they have a good insight in
grant, and from this year these chances the national context, however I always
are reduced to, still high, 15%. Starting ask how relevant they are to determine
from this year, the priority in the policy the so called added European value that
of support are the so called insufficiently these works should have. For this reason
May 2016 101
