When literature is good, it doesn’t know geographical or any other determinants – Tanja Vučković, Media Representative of Laguna Publishing House

Since its establishment in 1998, the Laguna publishing house has become the largest publishing house in Serbia and the largest in the region.

More than 1,400 translated books by foreign authors are in Laguna`s catalog. Also, more than 300 domestic authors have chosen Laguna as their publisher.

This agile publisher presents almost 365 books per year. An interesting fact is that every fourth Laguna`s title has won a world or domestic literary prize. The works of Serbian authors who published for Laguna received, in total, almost 200 local awards. When it comes to awards for the publishing house itself, the awards of the Forum of Journalists of Cultural Newsrooms stand out (Laguna has received this recognition several times), as well as the fact that in 2016, at the London Book Fair, Laguna was shortlisted for the best publisher in the world.

The Belgrade publishing house, with a large network of bookstores (Delphi bookstores are located throughout Serbia), is dedicated to its readership and is known for organizing various book events. In the productive year 2022, Laguna presented many new books, and their effort was recognized. At the Belgrade Book Fair, they received a journalist’s Award for the best publisher and the Award for the most professional attitude toward the media.

About all the exciting moments from the previous year, we had a conversation with Tanja Vučković, a Media Representative of Laguna.

 What was 2022 at the Laguna publishing house like?

And the year 2022 was exciting from Laguna’s point of view, full of interesting books, and nice promotions, but also some sad events. We fulfilled the plan to publish one title every day, so last year we had 365 new books. The Children’s Days of Culture held in April aimed to bring literature closer to the youngest. We also held two extremely successful Book Nights, which confirmed the status of the most important manifestation that promotes books and reading after the Belgrade Book Fair. When it comes to the Book Fair, there was great uncertainty as to whether it would be held this year after two years of absence. The very first day showed that the Fair is a cult event in our country with a long tradition that needs to be nurtured.

At the end of 2022, we were shaken by the news of the sudden death of Dejan Tiago-Stanković. Contemporary Serbian literature has lost a lot because every book he published was a bestseller, and he just started writing…

Which titles, in general, were the most popular – the most read and the most sold?

The annual top list is available on the Laguna website.

For the eighth year in a row, the most requested book is by Jelena Bačić Alimpić, this time the new novel Kletva  (“Curse”). Bishop Grigorije presented his new novel „Nebeska dvorišta“ (“Heavenly Gardens”) to the readers and had a great promotion in Belgrade. Dejan Tiago-Stanković is the only writer whose three published books are in the top 20 most read: „Odakle sam bila, više nisam“ (“Where I was from, I’m not anymore”), “Estoril“, and ” Zamalek“.

Of course, Fredrik Buckman’s books are among the most read this year, this time “Pobednici” (“The Winners “), and the unsurpassed „Čovek po imenu Uve  ” (“A man called Ove”). The most read children’s book is  ” Agi i Ema” (“Agi and Emma”) by Igor Kolarov.

What titles, when it comes to Serbian and regional literature, were a surprise – for you as a publisher and for readers?

 There are not many circumstances that can surprise us. But attention should be drawn to the successes achieved by Bojan Ljubenović with his books. In 2022, he published a great book of satirical stories „Ništa nije smešno“ (“Nothing is Funny”), and a widely read children’s book „Tajne dedinog kofera“(“Secrets of Grandpa’s Suitcase”). The literary event of 2022 is sure to be the new books of one of the most important contemporary Serbian writers, Goran Petrović  “Papir” (Paper) and “Ikonostas” (“Iconostasis”).

When it comes to authors from the region, Vedrana Rudan justified the high expectations of readers with her new novel “Doživotna robija“(“Life imprisonment”). Books by Ante Tomić and Boris Dežulović are read with pleasure here. But it doesn’t matter where the writer lives. When literature is good, it doesn’t know geographical or any other determinants.

It is important to mention that a new novel was published by Vladimir Kecmanović, „Kad đavoli polete“ (“When Devils Fly”). Vuk Drašković’s book „Ožiljci života“ (“The Scars of Life”) was also noticed.

 On the Laguna website can be seen a list of 22 books that marked the year 2022,  the choice of the publishing house itself. (That list included several books by local authors – the collection of stories Odakle sam bila, više nisam” (“Where I was from, I’m not anymore”) by Dejan Tiago-Stanković, the biography of Đorđe Balašević “Panonski admiral” (“The Pannonian Admiral”) by Ivan Ivačković, and the book “Ornamenti Srbije – pirotski ćilim” (“Ornaments of Serbia – Pirot carpet”) by Milica Živadinović, as well as “Nebeska dvorišta”(” “Heavenly Gardens”) of Bishop Grigori.

What makes these titles particularly significant?

It is already a traditional list made by Laguna’s editorial staff. Last year there were 21 books on that list, this year 22, and so there will be more and more with each new year. The list that has been made has nothing to do with either chronology or alphabetical order. This is a selection of books that were important to Laguna’s  editors for various professional reasons, and therefore we draw attention to them.

In one recent interview, you stated that the writer Dejan Tiago-Stanković, who recently prematurely passed away, with his three books “Estoril”, “Zamalek”, and “Where I was from, I’m not anymore”, is by far the most read Laguna writer in the past year, and that it is not easy to achieve. What distinguishes his works? Why do readers love his books so much?

Answering these questions is like trying to figure out magic… I think every reader who loves his books knows the answers, and don’t be surprised if the answers are different. I can say that he was an extraordinary storyteller. He writes and creates worlds that rise up around you. Behind each of his books is,  firstly,  years of research, a collection of material, and then, when everything is there, the artist shapes the literary work. He left at the peak of his literary creativity and the regret that remains for what he could still give to readers will not end.

You also mentioned that during the past year, new works by Goran Petrović and Bishop Grigori were very noticeable. What kind of novels are they?

Goran Petrović devoted more than 20 years to work on the literary project he called “Roman Delta”. “Papir” (“Paper”) and “Ikonostas” (“Iconostasis”) are the first two stories, “two streams” in the “Delta Novel”, a universe of allegorical stories whose action unfolds from the Middle Ages to the days we consider our own. The story of an event in Renaissance Italy helped Goran Petrović to shape the lavishly narrated story “Papir” into a far-reaching and witty metaphor about the changes of life and death, about the secrets of writing and creation in general. And in the fantastic story “Ikonostas”, the icons will experience many troubles on their way, they will be intercepted by Turks, and robbers, and sea monsters, and bad weather, they will be greeted and worshiped by the faithful, many will be lost forever, and they will arrive at the despot’s court only one, damaged and almost unrecognizable, so even the despot’s advisor Constantine the Philosopher will not be able to discern which saint it is…

Promotions of the book „Nebeska dvorišta“ (“Heavenly Gardens”) by Bishop Grigori in Novi Sad, Trebinje, Mostar, Herceg Novi, Bar, and Vienna were exceptionally well attended, but the promotion in Belgrade in the Great Hall of the Kolarac Endowment gathered more than 800 people and is probably the most visited promotion of a book here.

Powerful and poignant, this story about life, beauty, and suffering adheres to the values that its author, Bishop Grigorije, talks about whenever he speaks. Precisely and measuredly, with a stingy and poetic syllable, he spelled out a fragmentary saga about a small but brave community that defends its centuries-old hearth, an allegory about a small man under the impact of the scourge of war, which crystallized in an ode to Planinica, a landscape of unreal beauty, and man’s readiness for great decisions and deeds – in the novel “Heavenly Gardens”.

Laguna had a very successful presentation at the Book Fair in Belgrade, after two pandemic years. I would like to ask you how the October Book fair days looked like?

 We enjoyed the Book Fair. It is the crown of the year for all of us who deal with books and publishing. That intense and heated atmosphere is something we all love. For nine days, you meet writers and readers, and then valuable recognitions arrive in the form of the journalist’s Award for the best publisher and the Award for the most professional attitude towards the media, and then you know that you are on the right track.

More than 60 writers from Laguna presented their books at the Fair, and the most visited were the signings of Dejan Tiago-Stanković, Vedrana Rudan, Bishop Grigori, Goran Petrović, Ante Tomić…

The most read were “The Winners”, a new novel by Fredrik Buckman, then Nebeska dvorišta (“Heavenly Gardens”) by Bishop Grigori, “Odakle sam bila više nisam”(“Where I Was From, I’m Not Anymore”) by Dejan Tiago-Stanković, “The Little Italian Woman” by Lucinda Riley, “Night School” by K.J. Daugherty and “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover.

Does Laguna have contact with ex-YU diaspora in US? Have you perhaps organized or is planning to organize promotions of Serbian and regional writers in the US?

We do not organize promotions in the US, only if the writers themselves do something…

 I saw that the most read book for children last year was “Agi i Ema” (Agi and Emma~) by Igor Kolarov. What distinguishes this book? Why is it so popular?

We published “Agi i Ema” at the end of 2016, and for all this time it has always been among the most-read books. And why? Well, here are just some of the comments that stand with this title on our website: “A wonderful story about friendship, love for life, looking at its better side”, “to make us laugh and to cry, to entertain and to teach us, this book is a reading for all generations! Unforgettable!”, or as Dimitrije Janičić wrote: “It’s a good book. Simple. Warm. A thought-provoking book. It is an incentive book. A book about us,  our current time, our preoccupation with work and money, and our lack of time for our children. It is a book about a misunderstanding. And a book about growing up. A book about friendship. … This book is healing.”

Were any other children’s books, by local authors, particularly sought after and read in 2022?

 Last year, a new book was presented by Uroš Petrović, who writes for all ages. His books are always special and have been among the most-read titles of literature for children and young people for years, and their translations have been published in Italy, Greece, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. They have алсо been crowned with numerous awards.

„Bajke – Prvih sedam“ (“Fairytales – The First Seven”) were published in Cyrillic, Latin, as well as in English.

„Belina“ (“Whiteness”), „Ava i kiša“ (“Ava and the Rain”), „Gospodar svitaca“(“Lord of the Fireflies”), “The Squirrel’s Quirk” (“Veveričina čudna navika“),„Lirin glas“ (“Lira’s Voice”), „Mali žongler“(“The Little Juggler”), „Devojčica sa trubom“ (“The Girl with the Trumpet”) are set in the modern world and are designed to teach children about moral virtues and flaws through the events of the heroes who are children themselves. Relying on Aleksandar Zolotić’s rich illustrations, the child can elaborate, enrich and imagine those heroes and their adventures.

Finally, I would like to ask you what Laguna has planned for the year 2023? Which titles by local and regional authors do you already have in your plans for 2023? What titles and authors are you especially looking forward to?

In 2023, new hits of domestic and foreign literature await us. We have already received four books by Mario Puzo “The Godfather”, “The Sicilian”, “The Last Don” and “The Law of Silence”. We are soon expecting the third episode of the great series “Good Night, Punpune”, the new book by Colin Hoover “It Begins With Us”.

Readers will especially be delighted by Vanja Bulic new novel In 2023, new hits of domestic and foreign literature await us. We have already received four books by Mario Puzo “The Godfather”, “The Sicilian”, “The Last Don” and “The Law of Silence”. We are soon expecting the third episode of the great series “Good Night, Punpune”, the new book by Colin Hoover “It Begins With Us”.

Readers will be especially pleased with Vanja Bulic’s new novel „Milutinov greh“ (“Milutin’s sin”), in which Novak Ivanovic, a journalist from the Black Chronicle, once again takes the main role. We are also waiting for Dejan Stojiljković’s new literary work „Zvezda nad prazninom“ („Star over the Void”) about the poet Branko Miljković.

One of the most-read books in the world is certainly “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. Laguna will release an illustrated version of this title soon.

In 2023, awaits us Vladimir Arsenijević’s new novel, “Ghosts”, which closes the tetralogy “Cloaca Maxima”, started with the novel “U potpalublju”  (“In the Hold”).

And this is just the beginning. Enjoy reading!

Jelena Jovanović