Coordinator: Goga Publishing House (SI)
Partners: Drustvo za izdavanje, promet i uslugi Goten grup Dooel Skopje (MK), Udruzenje Krokodil (RS)

Project amount: 333.405 EUR (59,99 %)
EU support: 200.000 EUR
Project duration: 1. 10. 2019–30. 9. 2021

Reading Balkans: Borders vs. Frontiers is a continuation of the project Reading Balkans that was supported by Creative Europe in 2017. This time we have put in the focus topics of borders and cooperation with refugee writers – at the time when old wounds from Balkan Wars have not yet been healed, the question of our borders still not solved, new politics of fear and nationalism is built when refugees are crossing our region (and actual border walls are built as well) – through our activities we want to work on dialogue, debate and deeper understanding of our actual problems. More than ever, crossing of the borders for artists and books is important: the core of the project are residency programs for writers (42 residencies in 7 countries, each for 4 weeks), 8 festivals with 2 main topics: Borders vs. Frontiers and Exile in Language and video storytelling project Borders vs. Frontiers (creative writing and performance workshops for refugees will result in 5 videos made by refugee writers in Ljubljana + 5 videos of first class Balkan authors).

Important part is intensive international promotion of all writers participating in the project (at least 72) through the digital platform (web page readingbalkans.eu and mobile app: presentation of all authors in Eng. + short text newly translated into Eng./Ger. for at least 52), through the work of the Literary Agent/promotor visiting 14 international book-fairs (networking and promoting writers in the project) and through readings at Balkan Nacht event at Leipzig book-fair.
International visibility is important as a capacity building: small national literatures need to cooperate closely to achieve success in the global market, new professional opportunities for writers included in our project can be opened. The project encourages mobility of literary works all over Europe and better exchange of first-class authors also within Balkan region (the Western Balkans being underlined as a priority in A New EU Agenda for Culture).