CULTURE IS THE NEW CHALLENGE


The premier of the novel “Prey” at the Skopje International Book Fair, Publishing House “Matitsa Mekedonska”, May 12, 2006, was the reason for this interview of Svetlana Dicheva with the writer and publisher Georgi Grozdev. “Horizont” (Horizon) program, Bulgarian National Radio


The reason for today’s meeting with the writer and publisher Georgi Grozdev is the premier of his novel “Prey” in Macedonian at the Skopje Book Fair. Tell us something more about that fair?

This is an international fair, as far as I understood it covers 5000 square meters, includes many publishing houses, Balkan and foreign. There was also a Bulgarian book stand where I saw “Prey” in Bulgarian. The interesting thing was it wasn’t for sale. I was told the copies were meant for the National Library of Macedonia.

“Prey” had a premier and both for fun and seriously for the first time I gave an autograph to a Premier and it happened to be the Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buchkovski. He came as if by accident to the “Matitsa Makedonska” book stand, one of the biggest publishing houses which published the book along with a whole bunch of other books. After all he is an official, casually dressed, with a youthful appearance he was looking around the stands. Smiling, he asked for an autograph and I gave it to him. It’s a curious fact.

What is the budget of the Macedonian Ministry of Culture?

I had an interesting meeting with our ambassador Gen. Miho Mihov with whom I spoke also about culture related topics. The Macedonian Ministry of Culture has a budget roughly equaling that of the Ministry of Defense. There they organize a number of cultural events with European impact. Why is it that Sofia never has money for such events? It’s a big issue. We are talking about the cultural challenges before the Balkans. Culture is the new challenge the peninsula is faced with, I think, because it is related to the Word. The Word, in principle, lies with high values which transcend hatred and prejudice. This is the very barrier set before all Balkan cultures, as far as I have contacts and knowledge about the different countries.

The barrier is lifting in Bulgaria – here, there is the upcoming presentation of 10 Balkan authors by the Balkani Publishing House. When is that?

May 16th, Tuesday, 6 pm. Free of past prejudice we’ll be presenting 10 Balkan authors, including a Macedonian one, from all nations leaving no one out. The actress Maria Statulova will also take part. We’re inviting everyone to the recently opened biggest Bulgarian Bookstore “Helicon” – Vitosha, the former studio cinema Vitosha.

We’ve also invited Balkan diplomats, culture figures, writers. In fact this is the Balkan Library formula whose 10 latest books have been published with the cooperation of the Culture 2000 program of the European Union. We rely on the Word which cherishes the high values which have transcended hatred and prejudice. A long road lies ahead of us which is covered with nuances and particularities.

You mentioned in a particular way the term “literary customs controls”. What do you mean?

There are certain topics which are left in the background and are not commented on in public. The literary customs control draws a chalk circle, metaphorically speaking, a circle of topics, titles, authors, values. There are such customs controls in our country. There are also foreign customs controls. And since we are talking about Macedonia – there have been international cultural events for many years. One of them is the Struzha Poet Nights where representatives from all our neighboring countries have been given awards, some more than once. It is a more-than-strange exception that there are no recognized and awarded poets from Bulgaria and Albania. That is how the jury becomes a customs control officer. At the last event there was an award for a Filipino poet. And the Nights are dedicated to cultural cooperation and good neighborliness.

Similarly, in our country private and group literary customs controls of old and new times create circles of authors and topics and provide them either with a pass for the country or for abroad. Self-service!

In the meantime Bulgarian culture – and that is what interests me – remains hidden for the Western world and America. And not only esthetic worth from the past 15 or 50 years. I’m talking about many centuries of accumulation of our ancient literature and culture dating back as far as Constantine Cyril the Philosopher.

Thank you for taking part in “Breakfast on the Grass".