The Third Program of the Portuguese National Television (RTP3) recently presented Zoran Živković’s novel The Library, including an interview with the author.
It can be viewed here.
An Interview in “Delo”
An interview with Zoran Živkovic was published on August 2nd in the leading Slovenian daily newspaper “Delo”.
An Interview in the “Time Out”
During his recent visit to Lisbon, Zoran Živkovic was interviewed by João Morales for the Time Out, a prestigious Portuguese weekly magazine.
An Interview in “Público”
During his recent visit to Lisbon, Zoran Živković was interviewed by Isabel Lucas for Público, a Portuguese daily national newspaper.
Lisbon, a Sentimental Literary Journey (June 5th-10th, 2016)…
Chapter 1
INTERVIEWS
Diário de Notícias, Time Out…
Lisboa-06/06/2016- Entrtevista escritor Zoran Zickovik.
(Paulo Spranger/Global Imagens)
Chapter 2
LIVRARIA BERTRAND & RODA DOS LIVROS
Livreria Bertrand — The Oldest Bookshop in the World…
Chapter 3
THE BOOK FAIR
Chapter 4
A RADIO INTERVIEW
Antena 2 (RTP)
Luís Caetano
Última Edição
Chapter 5
A TV SESSION
Chapter 6
PESSOA & SARAMAGO
To Be Continued…
Živković’s books in Portugal, as presented on the Cavalo de Ferro website
The May 2016 Cavalo de Ferro Catalogue
The Book in Portugal
Here is the cover of the forthcoming (17th May, 2016) Portuguese edition of The Book. It will be published by Cavalo de Ferro. The same publisher has already brought out five books by Zoran Živković: The Library (three editions), Seven Touches of Music, The Last Book, The Ghostwriter and The Grand Manuscript.
Hidden Camera to be published in Turkey
Here is the cover of the forthcoming Turkish edition of Zoran Živković’s novel Hidden Camera, to be published in late February by the Istanbul based Minval. Hidden Camera previously appeared in the USA, Germany and Spain. In 2015 Minval brought out Zoran Živković’s World Fantasy Award winning mosaic novel The Library.
Twelve Collections and The Teashop reviewed in Yomiuri Shimbun
An excellent review of the Japanese edition of Twelve Collection and The Teashop appeared in Yomiuri Shimbun, the biggest Japanese daily newspaper and one of the biggest in the world:
2016年01月18日 05時27分
シルクハットを手に取った男の顔から、紫色の湯気のような気体がもわっと流れ散っている。そんな奇妙なコラージュに彩られた装丁が美しい。いかにも何かが飛び出してきそうで、思わず手に取った。そしてしばらくして本を閉じたとき、なんと摩訶まか不思議な小説を読んでしまったのだろう、としばし呆然ぼうぜんとなった。 １２人の偏愛的なコレクターを描いた連作と、あるティーショップでのひとときを描いた中編が収められている。著者のゾラン・ジヴコヴィッチは、「東欧のボルヘス」と称されるセルビア人作家だという。 「惚ほれ睡蓮すいれん」、「陽気な骸むくろ」といった妙な名前のケーキを出す店で、お客の「日々」をコレクションするパティシエ。集め続けた自分の爪の保管方法に思い悩む者がいれば、解放と引き換えに「希望」を要求する誘拐犯がいる・。 物語はどれもが得体の知れない香料を効かせたスープのようだ。ときおり死の匂いが漂い、とことん不条理。いつの間にか現実と幻の境目がぼやけ、はっとさせられる。一篇一篇を味わって読むうち、私はすっかりそのシュールな世界に引き込まれてしまった。 これほどまでに抽象的であり得ない世界なのに、それが異様な切実さを以て胸に迫ってくるのはなぜだろう。例えば「希望」を失うとはどのようなことか、といったことを考えずにはいられなくなる、というように。 滑稽なコレクターや、彼らの甘い誘いに乗って、大切な何かを明け渡してしまう人たち。そのやり取りから目を離せなくなるのは、彼らの一人ひとりが、読者である自分自身の戯画化された姿に感じられるからに違いない。人が心の奥底に持つ偏りや、それ故の哀かなしみのようなもの――夢幻的な物語でしか表現できないリアリティが、ここには確かにあると思う。出会いから本を閉じるまでの一連の時間が、一つの体験だと感じさせてくれる作品だ。
* * *
IMPOSSIBLE, YET COMPELLING
Yomiuri Shimbun, 18 Jan. 2016
Purple vapor rises from the face of the man in the silk hat. The production is beautiful, decorated by a bizarre collage. Expecting something to pop out at me, I pick it up. And, later, when I close it again, I sit astonished at the incredible, unbelievable book I have read.
The book contains a set of linked stories about twelve unusual collectors, and a novella about a short visit to a teashop. The author, Zoran Živković, is a Serbian writer acclaimed as the “Borges of Eastern Europe.”
At a pastry shop serving a variety of strange cakes with names like “enamored water lily” and “cheerful carcass,” the customer encounters a pastry chef who collects “days.” Other stories reveal a collector who worries about how to best preserve a growing collection of nail clippings, or a kidnapper who demands payment of “hope” as a condition for freeing his victims.
The stories are like rare soups with some unknown, unknowable fragrance. Sometimes it might be the smell of death, unacceptably absurd. The boundary between reality and illusion fades until you suddenly notice where you’ve wandered. As you savor them, one by one, you are drawn deeper and deeper into a surrealistic world.
Although it is an abstract, impossible world, it is strangely compelling, pulling you in. What is it like to lose “hope,” one thinks. I cannot help but wonder.
Humorous collectors, and people who go along with their invitations to give up something precious. You cannot take your eyes away from the characters, because each of them is a caricature of yourself, the reader. The hidden quirks of personality, the tiny sadnesses we keep bottled up inside—never expressed in our reality, they all come to light in these illusionary tales. And after we close the book again, we have gained a new experience.
(Translated from Japanese by Edward Lipsett)
Zoran Živković 
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