World Literatures - Fabula Festival

The underlying concept of Fabula has been to promote readership and the culture of reading in Slovenia. The main focus of the festival is no longer on short stories but on storytelling in general; in addition to book presentations and evening readings, the festival features screenings of films adapted from short stories. Besides renowned European story writers, numerous Slovene authors are featured in the festival, which also includes the bestowal of the Fabula Award for the best Slovene book of short stories.

In 2010 Fabula was one of the central festival events in the frame of the World Book Capital Ljubljana 2010.

Background and the venues

The Fabula Festival of Stories has been organised since 2004 by Študentska založba Publishing House in collaboration with Dnevnik Publishing House, and initially also by Postojnska jama turizem PLC.

The Fabula Festival takes place in several cities round Slovenia. In 2010 the events were organised in Ljubljana (Cankarjev dom, Kinodvor Cinema, the City Museum of Ljubljana, the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, and Beletrina Bookshop); Maribor (Synagogue Cultural Centre); Ptuj (Ivan Potrč Library); Ribnica (Mikl House Library); Koper (Dom knjige Bookshop); and Trieste, Italy.

Programme

The 3rd Fabula Festival of 2006, for example, took place in Ljubljana, Maribor, Postojna, Izola and Koper. In three weeks the festival hosted 10 world-famous writers – Milorad Pavić from Serbia, Miljenko Jergović, Krešimir Mišanović, Krešimir Bagić and Robert Perišić from Croatia, Claudio Magris and Diego Marani from Italy, Georgi Gospodinov from Bulgaria, Kader Abdolah from the Netherlands, and Toby Litt from the United Kingdom – who presented their work at more than 20 literary events. A public discussion entitled "Dramatisation of Novels" took place at the Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana, followed by the play Severni sij [Northern Lights] by Drago Jančar, performed by the Slovene National Theatre Maribor and directed by Mile Korun. Also accompanying the festival were a panel discussion about Slovene and Croatian fiction entitled Jeziki mesta [Urban Languages], and a conference on film stories. In 2007 the theme of the festival was "Death" and the festival featured some panel discussions involving artists, doctors, sociologists, and anthropologists.

The 2010 edition of the Fabula was the core event of the World Book Capital Ljubljana 2010. The festival hosted Herta Müller, David Grossman, Jonathan Franzen, Michal Viewegh, Daniel Kehlmann and Richard Flanagan and presented the new translation of their works into Slovene. In Kinodvor Cinema the screenings of the films based on the works by Fabula guests took place.

The festival programme brought the book and literature into the streets and squares of the city: the promenade at Breg in the old city centre turned into authors’ cities: the words, music, film and smells depicted the culture of the New York, Jerusalem, Prague, Vienna, and Sydney. The music concerts featured the Chili dogs, Keel Klezmer Band, Godalika, Saxophone quartet 4saxess, AHIMSAUrban band, as well as a huge choir event: eighteen Slovene choirs accompanied by the Philharmonics orchestra sang Slovenian poets. Secondary school students wrote down Prešeren's epic Krst pri Savici (Baptism at the Savica Waterfall) on the Ljubljana promenade in free typographic forms, accompanyied by the rap authors Boštjan Gorenc - Pižama and Klemen Klemen.

External links

Fabula Festival of Stories website

Gallery

Opening event of Fabula Festival 2023 hosted the Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabužko, author of the novel Field Research of Ukrainian Sex, that was interpreted by drama actor Mario Dragojević. The conversation with the author was led by Ksenija Horvat.

The award-winning British writer, academic and long-time fighter for greater inclusivity in literature Bernardine Evaristo joined the 2023 edition of the festival at the so-called Itn's literary breakfast (hosted by Fabula Festival and Itn.). Photo: Nina Pernat

The artistic director of the festival Aljaž Koprivnikar at the home of the senior citizens DSO Fužine where he presented FabulaFotelj, special project of the 2022 edition of the festival, an interactive and movable armchair, equipped with audio books that was created together with prostoRož.

The virtual Q&A between Mieko Kawakami and Nagisa Moritoki Škof that was accompanied by a butoh performance by Darinka Pillari took place at the Cankarjev dom Club in 2022. It presented Summer Stories, the latest novel by Japanese author Mieko Kawakami - a portrait of contemporary womanhood in Japan.

Under the guidance of mentors (Anja Koželj, Anja Koželj, Petra Stanišič), the children went on a literary treasure hunt, which took them to museums, libraries and bookstores, where they were given hints to continue the hunt. The event was part of the Young Fabula at the 2021 edition of the festival. Photo: Jaka Gaser

The Fabula book collection of 2021 lives through the illustrations of the designer and illustrator, Jure Brglez aka Brglesita, which were presented at the exhibition at the City Hall Atria in Ljubljana. Artist is accompanied by the artistic director of the festival Aljaž Koprivnikar. Photo: Jaka Gaser

Israeli author David Grossman during World Book Capital Ljubljana 2010 in May 2010

Gašper Troha & Sebastijan Pregelj's Ljubljana Literary Trail book cover, 2010

NiccolÃ² Ammaniti's Jaz in ti [You and Me] book cover, 2010

Authors City, Daniel Kehlmann: Vienna. In honour of the visiting author the World Literatures - Fabula Festival introduces the culture of the his home city Vienna, 2010

Literary event with American author Jonathan Franzen at Cankarjev dom during World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

Herta Müller, 2009 Nobel Laureate is honoured guest at the opening ceremony of the festival World Literatures - Fabula Festival, Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana in 2010

Portraits of authors by Ljubljanica river by Borut Kranjc, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

Prešeren's Coat, by Andreja Brulc, art installation using passages from the poet's longest poem Krst pri Savici[Baptism at Savica] on a new robe dressing Prešeren's monument, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

Guest author, Australian writer Richard Flanagan in Trieste, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

Comparative essay topics, a seminar about the Secondary School Graduation Essay led by Professor Nada Barbarič at Cankarjev dom, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

Young choristers performing at Song is the Voice of the Heart: Slovenian choirs sing Slovenian poets in Tivoli Park, Ljubljana World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

One of several pleasantly shady open air reading spots created for The Library Under the Trees project, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2010

World Literatures - Fabula Festival poster, 2011

Alenka Zupančič and Slavoj Žižek at the panel Who's the One Lying Here?, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2015

Clément Bénech, a guest of the World Literatures - Fabula Festival in 2015. His debut book, a short novel titled L'été slovène (Slovenian Summer) was published in 2013. Moderated by Agata Tomažič.

Georgi Gospodinov, a Bulgarian poet, writer, and playwright, was a guest at the World Literatures - Fabula Festival in 2015. His novel The Physics of Sorrow, which was awarded the Bulgarian Novel of the Year prize was translated into Slovenian in 2015.

Janice Galloway, the Fabula opening ceremony guest. World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2015

Philosopher Robert Pfaller's lecture White Lies, Black Truths at the World Literatures - Fabula Festival, 2015

A discussion The Thuth or Challenge, Literature among lies, truth and life, with Manca G. Renko, Zdravko Duša and Vesna Milek, World Literatures - Fabula Festival, Trubar Literature House, 2015

Vili Rezman (second from the left) presenting his awarded work in Konzorcij, at Mladinska knjiga Bookstores during Fabula Festival of Stories, 2009

World Literatures - Fabula Festival

Contents

Background and the venues

Programme

See also

External links

Gallery

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