The 4th edition of the festival 'Pro-za Balkan' ended with the allocation of the 'Prozart' award to Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov at Daut Pasha's Hamam in Skopje. The award was allocated by the festival's art director Aleksandar Prokopiev, who asked Gospodinov what happens in 8 minutes and 19 seconds, to which he answered:
"That is how long it takes the sunlight to reach the Earth. It the sunlight suddenly stops, than that is how much we have for the most important things on Earth.
Prokopiev added that this explains a small part of his storytelling mastership and that one of Gospodinov's major traits is his very superiority and mastership in the literary forms, where he is his own.
In his address, which he promised that it would not last more than 8 minutes and 19 seconds, Gospodinov pointed out that he is very happy to receive the award here, in a neighboring country, among writers and people who speak different languages.
"I know that there is a unspoken stereotype-when you come from the periphery, you are expected to tell local, regional stories. The major themes are for great literature. Before us we have two paths. One of them is to write locally and exotically, as is expected of us. The other is to tell our local stories as universal stories, because they ultimately are. Experience has taught me that the most personal stories are the most universal.", he said.
He thanked his publishers, translators and his grandmother and grandfather, who became part of his books through their stories. He then read an excerpt from his book 'The physics of sorrow' to the audience.
Before this year's laureate, 5 other guest authors presented small parts of their work.
The children and youth might not like reading books, but they like his novels, all 8 of them. The first to read was Serbian author Marko Vidojkovic. He pointed out that he had a great time in Skopje during the festival.
After him, Andrej Blatnik took the stage. He said that half of his short story was written 20 years ago.
The Turkish writer Asli Perker read an excerpt from her latest novel 'Help me'. Serbian writer Zvonko Karanovic and academic Luan Starova also took the stage.
The 4th edition of the festival was officially closed by director Dejan Trajkoski. He thanked the participants, supporters and the audience.
"I hope that 'Pro-za Balkan' will contribute to ascertain views on the quality of the prose in the country and that it will help in making it more available outside our borders", Trajkoski said.
The event was hosted by Ana Jovkovska and it was organized by publishing house 'Ikona' from Skopje.