Trafika Europe 5 - Slovenian Interlude

Books as we are going to press; you’ll find a generous preview here. Poems from the wonderful Barbara Pogačnik round out our Slovenian literary focus. The artwork inside (and on the cover of) this issue is all from the painfully- delighted Slovenian graphic novel, Balkanalia , by Samira Kentrić. In pictures and text, she traces her family’s journey from Soviet Socialism, through the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, the rise of nationalisms and consumer culture – all amidst the defiant sweetness of basic authentic living. Other cultures represented in this issue include, from Norway, Gøhril Gabrielsen’s The Looking-Glass Sisters, a taut new work of northern sibling tensions, just out from Peirene Press. On the occasion of Nobel Laureate Tomas Tranströmer’s passing earlier this year, we’ve got a sublime selection of poems re-translated from Swedish by Patty Crane, from Sarabande Books’ forthcoming volume , Bright Scythe . Following that, Seven Tales of Loss from Turkey is a delicate survey of emotions never far from the surface, in seven short pieces from Turkish writer Aylin Graves. And there’s new poetry from one of Hungary’s more sensitive living poets, Gábor Schein. Europe is grappling with some formative challenges to its identity these days. We’ve got new structural developments planned for Trafika Europe too, as we navigate this fascinating landscape of contemporary European literature. So please follow us on Facebook and Twitter , and stay with us as we continue this adventure. Thanks, and enjoy!