Autumn literary releases: from Nobel laureates to children's stories

Slovenian publishers are gearing up for an autumn season filled with anticipated literary works, spanning genres from novels by Nobel laureates to collections of dramatic texts and poetic picture books.

Mladinska Knjiga will release Saša Stanišić's new story collection in September, translated by Urška P. Černe. Known for his playful style, humor, and empathy, Stanišić, a German writer of Bosnian origin, explores themes of memory, identity, and belonging through everyday situations. He is also expected to be featured at the Slovenian Book Fair, where Germany will be the focus country. In November, Han Kang, a Nobel laureate, will have her new novel "The Impossible Farewell" released, translated by Ana Udoğanović. This poignant narrative delves into friendship, loss, and indelible memory, following Gyeongha as she travels to the snowy island of Jeju and uncovers a suppressed family history linked to a painful chapter of Korean history.

Anja Štefan and Ana Zavadlav's poetic picture book "Hair" is set for an October release. This playful book celebrates various hairstyles and the people from around the world who wear them, exploring diversity and individuality through witty rhymes. KUD Sodobnost International is publishing Evald Flisar's new novel, "The Fools' Festival," in October. The story begins on Christmas Eve, not as a celebration, but as an ambush, transforming a family gathering into a laboratory of familial pathology.

Additionally, Vlasta Golub's young adult novel "The Content of the Yellow Folder," translated by Dušanka Zabukovec, will be available in September. It follows fourteen-year-old Lovro as he navigates issues of bullying, diversity, societal norms, and personal responsibility, with his life complicated by his father's debt collectors. Edward van de Vendel and Anoush Elman's "Miška," illustrated by Annet Schaap and translated by Mateja Seliškar Kenda, is also due in September. This gentle story for younger readers is based on the true experience of Anoush Elman's family, recounting Roya's escape from Afghanistan to the Netherlands.