Underpass Launch Presenting Croatian Literature Translated Into English

 

The American born, wife and widow of the Croatian freedom activist Zvonko Busic, award-winning author Julienne Eden Busic, whose first novel “Lovers and Madmen” from 2000 brought her inside the world of notable literary creation but also quite central in energising Croatian writers to have their works translated into English, published online and, hence, bring Croatia closer to the English speaking world through translated stories…literature. Julienne, with the help of the Zvonko Busic Taic Foundation, has been organising workshops for Croatian authors, Croatian Writers Association, in Zagreb Croatia on “Basics of publishing in English” for many months now and has had US based Terra Chapek present at those workshops. Julienne has been a potent energy behind what is occurring today in this field.

Finally! There’s now an online “hub” where people who aren’t able to read and understand the Croatian language adequately, or at all, so as to fully enjoy original literature by Croatian writers can visit and enjoy not only the great imagination a skillful author can bring to a page but also the soul of literature of a culture, of a nation. How great is this!

Terra Chapek, editor in chief of the just launched Underpass, is a freelance editor, writer, and communications professional currently living in Portland, Oregon. She has worked in book publishing as an editor and marketer, in educational publishing as an editor and proposal writer, as well as in journalism as a reporter and editor. Co-editor Jelena Primorac is a translator, proofreader, copywriter and English language teacher who grew up in the U.S. and has mostly been living in Zagreb since college. She is co-author of Flirting in Croatian – A Vacationer’s Guide and her writing her been featured in Time Out Croatia magazine.

Translated literature has a new online home at Underpass.co.

The online magazine will feature fiction and narrative nonfiction from around the world. With a focus on translations into English from small and marginalised language groups, Underpass aims to be the English readers’ shortcut to rarely explored cultures and countries.

Underpass’s first stop is Croatia. The launch edition features a diverse collection of writing from established, award-winning authors, as well as new and emerging voices. Selections range from edgy stories of soccer hooligan brawls and misfits in modern Dalmatia to war stories from the 1990s and historical fiction about Croatian life pre-WWI.

“We are charmed and impressed by these stories and we’re thrilled to be sharing them with an English-speaking audience,” said Terra Chapek, Underpass editor.

The following authors are featured in the Croatian launch: Tomica Bajsic, Boris Beck, Miroslava Buljan, Nada Crnogarac, Ksenija Kusec, Zoran Malkoc, Gordan Nuhanovic, Luka Ostojic, Sanja Pilic, Dinko Relkovic, Tomica Scavina, Ivana Sojat Kuci, Dinko Telecan, Zoran Tomic, Vedran Volaric, Zoran Zmiric.

Underpass will publish translated fiction and narrative nonfiction, with an on emphasis stories that give readers a strong sense of place.

Commitments are that Underpass will publish two to three new stories each month and is accepting submissions on a rolling basis. For more details, please see submission guidelines at Underpass.co\submissions.
While the journal is accepting submissions from all places with small and marginalised languages, it will focus on literature of Croatia and nearby countries until a new country can be launched with a critical mass of quality submissions.

“Underpass is an exit ramp to niches of the world that don’t usually make the international ‘trending’ list.” So if you think you have a story, a translation…for Underpass them at editor@underpass.co. Happy writing! Happy reading! I hope you enjoy this face of Croatia also!
Prepared by Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)