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literature here.

photo: Pauline Gouablin

In 2024, the UNESCO Cities of Literature Ljubljana and Angoulême, the latter widely recognized as an international comics capital, partnered with the French Institute to present a new residency program (“La fabrique des résidences”) aimed at supporting Slovenian and French creativity in comics. The first call for applications for the October 2024 one-month residency in Ljubljana was an immense success. We are grateful to have received 20 applications in the first year of this program, all of which demonstrated truly remarkable quality!

We appreciate this confirmation of the project’s relevance, considering it indicative of a productive future exchange. We value the efforts of all applicants and acknowledge that they significantly enhance the overall appeal of this international program.

The first resident, selected by the Slovene and French juries, will be the French artist André Derraine. Born in 1994, André Derraine is a comic book author, illustrator, and graphic designer living in Strasbourg. He has exhibited his illustrations and paintings in numerous galleries and group exhibitions, produced posters for various festivals, contributed illustrations to various magazines and newspapers, published several zines, and created watercolor sets for the animated film Les Belles Cicatrices by Raphaël Jouzeau, presented in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

In André Derraine’s words, “Telling stories through text and images is what I love to do above all else, and what I hope to continue doing in the coming years.” Having already published two comic books (Des fourmis dans les jambes, Fidèle Éditions, 2023; Un orage par jour, Keribus Éditions, 2021), Derraine will spend his time in Ljubljana working on a new book. After all, residency programs are, in his strong opinion, a vital factor in providing a supportive, stimulating environment for an artist to experiment freely and develop their work. A case in point was the time Derraine spent at Villa Saigon in Vietnam in 2019, which enabled him to lay out the foundations for his first comic book.

André Derraine's portfolio, focusing mostly on works made with ink on paper and gouache on wood, shows an imaginative aesthetic defined by a thoughtful use of color, meticulous attention to detail, and compelling narratives. Creating dynamic and evocative dialectics, his images juxtapose a sense of tranquility where emptiness alludes to some invisible plenitude, with almost surreal scenographies of beautifully imaginative yet strangely uncanny worlds.

We are honored to host André Derraine as the first artist-in-residence of this new program. Stay tuned for details about his appearances and interactions with the local community.

APPLY HERE: 
https://forms.gle/TMUhhxvfz6PxysWAA


General information
Ljubljana and Angoulême, both UNESCO Cities of Literature, the French Institute Slovenia, and the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image (Angoulême, France) have joined forces to support Slovenian and French creativity in comics by developing a three-year residency program from 2024 to 2026.

The 2024 edition will support two artists, one French and one Slovenian, to foster artistic creation, increase their visibility and create opportunities for encounters with local artistic communities, other artists and new audiences.

One French artist will be hosted in Ljubljana from October 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024 (dates are non-negotiable). They will be given the opportunity to explore the cultural scene, particularly the comic book scene in Ljubljana, and participate at the international Tinta Comic Book Festival, which will take place from October 9 to 13, 2024.
This residency is part of the Institut Français’ “La Fabrique des Résidences” program.

Requirements for applicants
This call for applications is aimed at French artists (either of French nationality or those who have resided in France for more than five years). 

• They must be active in the field of comic books.
• They have published at least one comic book with a publishing house (collective works will also be considered).
• They should be able, and willing, to converse and fill out this form in English.

• Accommodation and workspace
• A stipend in the sum of €1200 (including taxes, paid as a lump sum upon arrival by the French Institute Slovenia).
• Roundtrip travel expenses from France to Slovenia (up to approx. €600, paid by the French Institute Slovenia).
• Possibility to participate at the international Tinta Festival as well as optionally present an exhibition and conduct a workshop.

Ana Schnabl, an editor and the author of a short story collection Disentangling and two novels, The Masterpiece and Tide, wrote for The Guardian on the significance of the Slovenian language as opposed to other world's dominant languages.

"What worries, or rather annoys, me is the lack of basic curiosity among large-language speakers towards small languages, their very common inability to consider small languages as realms and not mere deserts in which strange sounds travel from one dune to another. This bothers me, not because I want Slovene speakers to be graced with the attention of, say, English speakers or because I expect people to learn Slovene. No, this annoys me insofar as any type of ignorance of the privileged annoys me: I dislike seeing people choose to remain small."

The whole article is available on the Guardian's site.



Photo: Mankica Kranjec/Beletrina

Every year, on World Book and Copyright Day and on other occasions, we celebrate our love for literature with Open-Air Book Fairs in cooperation with the publishing community. Here in Ljubljana, a UNESCO City of Literature, these fairs are a fantastic way to experience the city's vibrant literary scene firsthand.

We set up stalls or tables in the city center, where publishers stack them high with their best wares – at discounted prices, of course. It's a great opportunity to meet the publishers themselves, network, and attend book launches. The fairs are also bustling with meetings, discussions, author signings, and music, making them a dynamic and engaging experience.

But the magic of these events goes beyond the books themselves. They provide an excellent environment for bringing Ljubljana's literary community together and fostering connections. Not only can you meet local publishing professionals, but you'll also have the chance to discover Slovenian authors, both established and up-and-coming, many of whose works are translated into English and available for you to explore and buy. So come along, delve into the world of literature, and discover a whole new side of Ljubljana!

Let's gift each other books! More than 60 publishers and a dedicated stand with books in English.

See you on May 12th!

Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/s6ncD8cf1AXeqPyp9