Young Blogger Launches Literary Podcast

Ella Hasel, a 20-year-old student of Comparative Literature and Information Science at the University of Zagreb, is expanding her popular online literary platform, Knjiški recenzeRAJ, into the podcast realm. What began as a passion for reading and writing has evolved over five years into a recognized online community for literature enthusiasts, authors, publishers, and librarians. The platform boasts over 8,000 Instagram followers and more than 21,000 on Facebook, with a growing presence on YouTube and TikTok.

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The goal of the podcast is to bring literature closer to a wider audience, open important topics from the world of books, and show that conversation about reading can be contemporary, accessible, inspiring, and relevant.

The new podcast, also titled Knjiškog recenzeRAJa, is designed as a forum for conversations about books, literature, reading, authorship, publishing, and librarianship. Over 20 episodes, scheduled to release twice a month between September and June, the podcast will host esteemed figures from the Croatian literary scene and experts in library and information sciences. The initiative seeks to make literature more accessible to a broad audience, address key topics within the book world, and demonstrate that discussions about reading can be contemporary, approachable, inspiring, and relevant.

Each episode will offer a unique perspective on the literary and cultural landscape. Topics will range from personal reading experiences and creative processes to discussions about the literary scene and the role of libraries, books, and reading in contemporary society. Notable guests from the literary world include writers Miro Morović, Igor Beleš, and Sanja Polak. These interviews aim to introduce listeners to the individuals behind the books, their creative journeys, and their views on modern Croatian literature.

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Conversations with them will give the audience an opportunity to get to know the people behind the books, their creative processes, experiences, and views on contemporary Croatian literature.

The podcast also features insights from the library science field, with guests such as Bojan Lazić, editor of the professional journal Školski knjižničar, and Professor Ana Barbarić, head of the Library Science Department at the University of Zagreb. For Hasel, these conversations hold personal significance as Barbarić and another guest, Monika Batur, are her professors. This connection allows the podcast to bridge a student's perspective with the expertise of educators shaping future librarians. The podcast is intended for a wide audience, including avid readers, students, librarians, teachers, publishers, and anyone professionally or personally connected to the world of books, aiming to present specialized topics in an understandable manner and foster diverse opinions.

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The podcast aims to bring professional topics closer in an understandable way, open space for different opinions, and show that conversations about books can be simultaneously informative, personal, and fun.