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| LITERARY
LIFE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Literary life in Bosnia and Herzegovina meets all the difficulties
common to transition countries, as well as some entirely specific
ones. Taken together, they make the situation rather difficult to
take. The crisis in the literary life of Bosnia and Herzegovina
cannot be separated from the crisis at the once-common ex-Yugoslavian
market, or at least its central part, which functions with an identical
(i.e. understandable to all), even though not identically named
language.
Former Yugoslavia directly before the war had perhaps the first
success in creating a society in which literature was widely present.
At the market of some 20 million potential readers, decent print-runs
were possible. For example, the sixth edition of the translation
of Marquez?s One Hundred Years Of Solitude had a 50,000 copies print
run, after the first five editions, totalling 115,000 copies, were
sold out! Yougoslavia could sell almost 200,000 copies of a serious
novel such as One Hundred Years of Solitude! I?m not talking about
the master of kitch such as Sheldon and Robbins, who were at their
peak in those days, I?m talking about Marquez. For illustration,
let us mention that, for instance, Rushdie?s novel Midnight Children
sold some 250,000 copies in the USA, and that it was pointed out
as the example of a large issue of a serious book. Comparing the
two cases, take into account the size of American market, and the
fact that it was not a translation.
Local authors were also able to get good sales. The best south-slavic
book of the 20th century, The Grave for Boris Davidovič by Danilo
Kiš, had five re-editions in four years. Commercial authors such
as Tribuson, Pavličić, Pekić or Pavić reached five-figure print-runs.
HIT imprint held large runs for Kundera, Julian Barnes, Hesse or
Graham Green.
Today, even if independent publishers? appeals for a unified market
were to come true, the situation is much more difficult. It may
sound unbelievable, but Marquez today runs in 1,000 copies. A second
edition can only be dreamt of. Simply, the economic situation everywhere
at the former market is difficult, and emmigration consists mostly
of well-educated young people - i.e., those who make up the serious
reading public. At the same time, different translations of the
same book multiply. For example, Semprun?s novel Writing or life
is published at the same time in Bosnia and in Croatia. The same
goes for Bosnian and Serbian translation of Saramag?s Scripture
According to Jesus Christ. But the cigar goes to Edward Said?s Orientalism,
which appeared in three different editions, in Bosnia, Serbia and
Croatia, in the space of just a couple of mnoths. The true sufferers
are the readers: they could have had more and different titles,
instead of getting different editions with Freudian, narcisstically
small differences.
Contemporary domestic authors in Bosnia (and the situation is similar
in Serbia and Croatia) reach editions ranging from a few hundred
to 2-3,000 copies. Too little! A unified market could help differnentiate
between quality and quantity.
Scandinavian countries can be taken as a positive example. Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland have approximately the same
population as Serbia, Montengro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.
But Dane, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic languages are
far more different than Serbian, Montenegrian, Bosnian and Croatian
are. In short: they do need translators for communication. However,
in this year?s issue of Los Angeles Times, Scandinavia is described
as writers? heaven. The populace is rich, and thus has the leisure
to read; a strong network of editors and translators offers the
best from each country to the others. This literary prosperity has
made some Scandinavian authors (like Justein Gaarder) into global
literary stars. As if the days of Strindberg, Hamsun, and Ibsen
were back.
When it comes to literary life, the only thing with which Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and the region as a whole, has no problems, are
good books and writers. Problems pertain to infrastructure, the
overall sociological picture and economic conditions. Some things
could be improved: steps should be taken to unite several cut-up
markets, disposing individually with less readers than an average
western european city, into a single, at least marginally respectable
market. Literature lovers do it on their own, individually and alternatively.
Mail and the Internet, friendly and private connections are ways
to reach interesting books. But they should be made available through
official and institutional channels as well, through bookshops and
libraries. If it doesn?t happen, one can hardly hope that an improvement
can happen in this debiliated conglomerate of things and phenomena
collectively known as local literary life.
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