We live
literature here.

In 2025, Ljubljana will host its second comics artist from France. The residency is part of a program launched in 2024 through a collaboration between Ljubljana and Angoulême – both UNESCO Cities of Literature – and the French Institute. The residency program supports Slovenian and French creativity in the field of comics and promotes knowledge exchange and mobility.

Now in its second year, the program continues to attract an impressive number of high-quality applications from artists with strong creative backgrounds and compelling visions. We’re grateful for every submission, as each one adds to the overall value of the project.

This year’s call for a one-month residency in Ljubljana once again attracted nearly twenty high-quality applications, from which the Slovenian-French jury selected Simon Ecary.

Simon Ecary (1997) is an illustrator and comics author who has published three albums and regularly contributes to various magazines. He is currently completing Eva qui vit, a new album to be published in 2026 by Cornélius. In Ljubljana, he will primarily be working on a storyboards for new project, La cabane. Simon Ecary has previously participated in artistic residencies in Prague (LUSTR Festival) and in Angoulême (at La Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image).

Ecary’s work draws inspiration from the line drawing of classic comics and the subversiveness of the independent or outsider scene. His stories feature roughly drawn characters who, through caricature and settings that are at times bizarre, reinterpret the comic tradition. Color gradients and contrasting planes enhance the psychedelic quality of his fluid, ambiguous imagery, set in original visual worlds. By incorporating recognizable elements from the history of comics – and from graphic design more broadly, particularly obscure paraphernalia – his work evokes a playful sense of estrangement. Ecary also works with risography, a technique whose aesthetic echoes appear throughout his comics.

We look forward to welcoming Simon Ecary to Ljubljana in October, at Center Rog.

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!

ljubljanacityofliterature.com

BOOKS IN ENGLISH

Ljubljana, Unesco’s City of Literature will be present at the fair as the organizer but also as a stall with books by Slovenian authors in translation! Welcome to browse, get to know, read and buy Slovenian books in English.

Let’s gather under the open sky and honor the world of books together!

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LITERARY EVENTS ON THE FAIR STAGE

Throughout the day, the stage will host discussions, book presentations, readings, as well as opening and closing concerts.

9:00 GOOD MORNING, BOOK FAIR

10:00 MUSICAL WAKE-UP CALL 
Zajtrk (Laura Krajnc – vocals, violin & Sven Horvat – guitar, vocals)
An ethno-chanson duo committed to Slovenian lyrics, bringing a witty, socially critical, and playful approach to their music.

11:00 DISCUSSION AND AWARD CEREMONY 
Kritiško sito Award Kritiško sito is the only literary award presented by critics. Eva Ule will lead a conversation with this year’s nominees (Kazimir Kolar, Nataša Kramberger, Ana Schnabl, Peter Semolič, Ana Svetel, and Manca G. Renko), followed by the award presentation. Organized in collaboration with the Slovenian Literary Critics' Association.

12:00 / FOR CHILDREN 
Storytelling performance by Boštjan Gorenc – Pižama (ages 5–10)
Pižama’s magical bag is packed with quirky tales! Together, children will explore a father’s beard, chase dragons, and encounter the Forgetful Cap and a terrifying wolf. A surprise story might even be created on the spot!

13:00 DISCUSSION WITH NOMINEES 
Vasja Cerar Award 
Presented by the Slovenian Literary Translators’ Association and MKC Maribor, this award recognizes outstanding translations into Slovenian. This year, it focuses on youth literature (12+). Moderated by Diana Pungeršič.

14:00 BOOK PRESENTATION  Neige Sinno: Sad Tiger An award-winning autobiographical novel that confronts sexual abuse within a family with radical honesty. The conversation will feature editor Darja Marinšek, translator Saša Jerele, psychoanalyst Dr. Ana Jereb, and journalist Nina Gostiša.

15:00 PANEL DISCUSSION 
"BURNING!" 
Climate change, environmental disasters, biodiversity loss, green transition—key challenges for society, science, and politics. Luka Culiberg, Dušan Plut, and moderator Ajda Pistotnik discuss recent books on the subject.

16:00 BOOK PRESENTATION & CONCERT
Boštjan Narat: BAND 
A novel about forming a band and navigating dreams and reality, accompanied by a short concert.

17:00 BOOK PRESENTATION 
Goran Vojnović & Esad Babačić: Letters from the Field 
A book capturing the authors’ shared passion for sports through an exchange of letters. Presented with journalist Slavko Jerič.

18:00 BOOK PRESENTATION 
Ana Schnabl & Ana Svetel 
Afternoon discussion with nominees for the Kritiško sito Award, presenting their latest novels September and Glass Walls.

19:00 READING & BOOK COLLECTION PRESENTATION 
Prepišni Prišleki 
Featuring the latest in Slovenian fiction and poetry, the Prišleki collection has been publishing groundbreaking works since 1996. A reading by contemporary authors will follow.

19:30 POETRY READING 
Črna skrinjica
Showcasing poets who have recently published with Črna skrinjica. Featuring Matjaž Zorec, Stanka Hrastelj, Pino Pograjc, and Jan Krmelj.

20:00 CONCERT 
Brothers of d'Light (Nils Rošker & Kristjan Hacin) 
A folktronic duo blending rich ethnic vocal echoes with Persian lute melodies, infused with live electronic soundscapes.

21:00 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL 
A toast to wrap up the day!

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PUBLISHERS

Anksio • Avrora • Bajalka • Beletrina • Bitcoin knjižnica • Buča • Cankarjeva založba • Center za slovensko književnost • Črna skrinjica • Didakta • Društvo humanistov Goriške • Družina • Emily June Novels • Goga • Grafenauer založba • Hart • Hiša knjig • Hiša poezije • Inštitut Časopis za kritiko znanosti • Iskanja • kooperativa THD (Društvo za teoretsko psihoanalizo, Krtina, Sophia, Studia humanitatis, Založba /*cf.) • KUD Konstruktivist • KUD Logos • KUD Police Dubove • Kulturni center Danilo Kiš • LUD Literatura • LUD Šerpa • Malinc • Miš založba • Mladika • Mladinska knjiga • Morfem • No!Press • Pivec • samozaložbe Vlado Began, Stan Dirdeny, Alicia Peljhan, Nataša Rupena • Sanje • Sidarta • Slovenska kinoteka • Slovenska matica • slovenski gledališki založniki (SLOGI, Knjižnica MGL, Maska, Emanat, AGRFT) • Sodobnost • Strip.art.nica Buch • Stripburger / Forum Ljubljana • Stripolis • Škrateljc • ŠKUC • VBZ • Vida • VigeVageKnjige • Zala • Založba Grlica in Založba Graffit • Založba UL Pedagoške fakultete • Založba ZRC • Založništvo tržaškega tiska • Zgodovinski arhiv Ljubljana • Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete
 

International PEN, a leading international association of writers, promotes and defends a culture of peace based on freedom of expression, dialogue, and the exchange of opinions. PEN advocates for linguistic and cultural diversity, for the life of all cultures and languages, whether spoken by many or few people.

From April 7th to 10th, the 57th International Meeting of the Writers for Peace Committee will take place in Bled, as well as in Nova Gorica and Ljubljana. This year's meeting, titled "Climate Crisis and Wars," will address various contemporary challenges through round tables and literary readings. According to the President of Slovenian PEN and Vice-President of the International PEN Board, Tanja Tuma, they expect approximately one hundred delegates this year.

Before the opening of this year's International PEN meeting, you are invited to a literary evening, "Bled before Bled," on Monday, April 7th at 7 PM, where Italian author Paolo Giordano will be presented in a conversation with Breda Biščak.

The central theme of the conversation will be Paolo Giordano's latest novel, "Tasmania," in which the author explores interpersonal relationships in a time filled with uncertainty due to climate change and global conflicts. The novel depicts a world shaken daily by new disasters – floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, wars – and in which the future is becoming increasingly uncertain. At the center of these events is Paolo, who, in addition to global crises, also faces disappointments in his personal life. His distress reflects the broader crisis of an entire generation and the planet, where everyone is searching for their "Tasmania" – a corner of the world where they would feel safe.

On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we present a war diary, a graphic novel about two cats living in a museum in Odessa and telling the story of Odessa, Ukraine, and the war. Above all, it's about the foundation of every society, namely museums and cultural heritage.

The diary has been in the making for three years, and now episode 1 about the beginning of the war is here.

The entire comic is available for free reading.

Olena Iliasova – concept
Maria Apriatova – illustrations