Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
From Sveti Martin na Muri to the stage of the Croatian National Theatre, from gold medals earned on the tatami to the greatest literary awards, from an anonymous boy from Međimurje to a name on the mandatory school reading list – this is the journey that Kristian Novak took in just the last ten years. Croatia´s biggest literary star will reveal what obstacles he had to tackle and if he has any more wishes that haven´t come true yet, right in Rovinj, at the eleventh version of Weekend Media Festival.
Following the great success of his novels „Črna mati zemla“and „Ciganin, ali najljepši“, and their successful stage versions in Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM) and the Croatian National Theatre, Novak has been exposed to an enormous interest from the public and other fellow literates, which is an extraordinary feat. However, accolades tend to come in pairs with critiques, and some punches from below the belt, but Novak, a seasoned karate fighter has handled this quite well.
„Me, a star? Good one. But yes, in the past two years I have experienced a buzz that isn´t showing any signs of stopping and I am also becoming aware of the interest people have for my novels and the topics they open. I am not running away from the discussions, but I would prefer that we all stick to the facts and stop falsely accusing each other. That is why I agreed to come to Weekend Media Festival, because I heard it is a place where smart and creative people have reasonable and polite discussions about topics that concern all of us. I am really looking forward to Rovinj, and I am also ready for some tricky questions, but I will try and keep my answers up to standards. “, stated Kristian Novak.
Novak´s novels open up a sea of topics, many of them being the role of the Međimurje area and dialect, the relationship between a „Gastarbeiter“child and various cultures as well as the choice of Rijeka as a professional haven. We will also find out how Novak sees his works being part of mandatory reading materials in Croatian schools, how he deals with fame and whether he experiences it as turning a serious literary work into showbusiness. It will also be interesting to hear his thoughts on working with Eva Svenstedt Ward (critically acclaimed for her work on Stieg Larsson´s Millenium trilogy) on the „Črna mati zemla“screenplay.
„Kristian´s success is proof that even this time of new media, traditional artforms, such as literature and theater, can indeed be socially relevant. Weekend media Festival has dealt with various social topics in its previous years, but Kristian´s writing is so convincing, we are certain that he will manage to intrigue many festival participants. “, said Nikola Vrdoljak, Festival Program Director.
The largest regional communications festival will take place from September 20th until September 23rd in the old tobacco factory in Rovinj, with France and Germany as this year´s partnering countries. All creatives can apply for the seventh edition of BalCannes, and the best digital works will once again be showcased at the biggest digital awards ceremony, SoMo Borac.