In order to Respect Each Other, We Have to Know Each Other!Interview by Alexandra Sokolovska with Rade Siljan, writer and founder of Publishing House “Matica Makedonska”, Skopje, Macedonia

Alexandra Sokolovska: Recently Publishing House “Matica Makedonska” and Club “Matica” celebrated 15 years since their foundation. How would you present your publishing house, what is its vision?

Rade Siljan: In the past years we’ve published over 1500 titles of Macedonian literature, cultural monuments, lexicographic collections, monographs, and a significant number of works of world classics, as well as contemporary writers. We’ve paid special attention also to writers of neighboring countries. For example, in the “Translations” collection we’ve published over 100 works from Bulgarian, Albanian, Serbian and Greek literatures, which would mean, we want to be up to speed with what is happening in these literatures. I would also mention a few projects which are noteworthy. These are anthologies: “Serbian Anthology of 18th, 19th and 20th centuries”, compiled by the academician Gane Todorovski and Pascal Gilevski; “Anthology of Albanian Poetry” and, last but not least, the works of the Greek authors Kostas Valetas and Yannis Pandis. In the recent years we’ve also published some renowned Bulgarian works: the cult novel “Under the Yoke” by Ivan Vazov, a collection of poetry by Elisaveta Bagryana, and just recently the famous contemporary novel “Prey” by Georgi Grozdev. The cooperation with our neighbors’ literatures will go on in the future because this is the only way we can offer our readers detailed information about our neighbor’s artistic values, and at the same time to present ourselves better to their readers.

A.S.: Do Macedonian readers show interest in your publications? What are young readers interested in?

R. Siljan: I can say interest is great. We, of course, pay attention to the financial side of the matter, but, after all, our mission is cultural familiarization with our neighboring literatures. We aim to carry this out in the best possible way, because if you don’t know your neighbors, it’s like not knowing the world. So, it is our goal to be in sync with the cultural processes in our neighboring countries.

A.S.: Your publishing house and club “Matica” are trying to bring the book and the reader as close as possible by using attractive events. What are your long-term plans in that respect?

R. Siljan: At the moment there are about 15 000 members from Macedonia in our club, and, fortunately, we also have foreign members. The connection among us, the book and the readers-buyers is realized in the best possible way. Unfortunately, poverty is a typical phenomenon for this region, but recently I’ve had the impression that the cultural campaigns we carry out are beginning to be justified. Now it’s easier to disseminate new books by offering readers different discounts and other lucrative deals we borrow from the rest of the world.

A.S.: Your presentations always arouse interest during book fairs not only in Macedonia but in Belgrade, Sofia and Europe as a whole. What kind of experience do you gain from such events and what do they mean to you as a publisher?

R. Siljan: Our participation in the different cultural events in Sofia, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, Tirana, Frankfurt, Istanbul, and Moscow has always given us something new. Through contacts with our colleagues from the developed world we gain new knowledge about marketing and publishing programs, we establish fruitful cooperation with international publishing houses and cultural institutions. The most important to us are contacts with the writers themselves. This is the most direct way to receive something new. It’s important not only to learn from others’ experience but also present and promote our book on their market. For now, our success in this is a little more limited, but with persistence and constancy we will prove books and culture can be a bridge to bringing different societies closer.

A.S.: Apart from a publisher you are also a writer. Are you satisfied with the status of our authors and can a person live on writing alone?

R. Siljan: Living on writing in Macedonia is difficult. Maybe only a handful distinct prose writers can afford that. That is why the connection between writer and another activity is inevitable. We are all looking for ways to exist, and our writing is a sort of pleasure. Some may also hope for a more romantic attitude to a writer’s work, may think only of love for art, but the specific economic situation, the small and limited market forces upon us a different living stereotype. Here a professional writer will hardly survive. That is why they are very rare in Macedonia. I can say that for me, my work in the publishing house, with which I’ve been involved for almost 30 years now, has been exceptionally rewarding because it epitomizes my love for the book. I’m performing a noble task, and I am also up-to-date with the actual state of affairs.

A.S.: Doesn’t real judgment get in the way of your writing? What are you working on?

R. Siljan: I’m working on two books. One is a new poetic collection, and the other, which will be out very soon, is a collection of critiques and essays entitled “Macedonian Writers and Works” (editor’s note: the book has in the mean time received an award for criticism and essayism). In it I present the significant achievements in the field of poetry, prose, drama and literary criticism. I’m trying to point out the common ground between historical and contemporary achievements in Macedonian literature. I hope the book will have a wide range of readers. I don’t run away from factography, so it will be important also to those who want to learn something more about the authors and their works and I think that in this way I will also present my long-lived work in the publishing house and will satisfy some of my literary propensities.