Slovenian Minister Simoniti Opens Prague Book Fair
Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti highlighted the close cultural ties binding Slovenia and the Czech Republic throughout history as he opened the 11th international book fair in Prague on Thursday. Slovenia is in the spotlight of the event this year.
The exhibition of Slovenian books in Prague is not something coincidental, Simoniti said, but the result of the two nations' common interest in each other's cultures.
In his opening address, Simoniti noted that through centuries, Slovenian students and authors sought education and inspiration in the Czech cultural milieu.
Even today, many Czech authors and artists are still regarded as models in various forms of art, this being manifested in the numerous translations, exhibitions, concerts and other events, Simoniti said as quoted by the Ministry of Culture.
The minister said that Czech authors and artists offered much more to Slovenians than Slovenians did to Czech audiences, but that those too were interested in Slovenian culture.
Speaking about frequent guest appearances by authors in particular, Simoniti noted that a number of outstanding Czech dissident writers took part in the international literary festival in Vilenica, in the Slovenian region of Kras, in the late 1980s.
The international book fair in Prague ran until 8 May, with 20 Slovenian authors taking part in readings and debates, among them Evald Flisar, Drago Jancar, Milan Jesih, Svetlana Makarovic, Mojca Kumerdej and Maja Vidmar.
They discussed with their Czech counterparts current literary trends, focusing on children's books, homoerotic poetry, urban elements in poetry, literary magazines, and women in literature, among other topics.
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