The book and the movie

After the big success of Igor Kolarov's novel Agi and Emma (2002), it was adapted for the big screen (2007) by director Milutin Petrovic. The novel tells the story about the strange, yet beautiful friendship between Agi and Emma. Agi is a 9-year-old boy, who lives in a modern family, with parents who are always busy and who move around very often. His life changes when he meets Emma, an elderly but very lively women. Ema is his only friend. Together, they create their own world, a world of friendship, imagination and creativity, full of all kinds of interesting mischief.

While teh movie was still in the making, the Serbian Company Limited from Toronto published the English translation (2006) by Irina Sutulov, with a foreword by Milutin Petrovic.

After reading the book, you can also enjoy the movie on a DVD with English subtitles

Winter reading

The holidays are over and I am back with another wonderful collection of fairy tales. I don't know about you, but for me winter is always about snuggling up in cozy chair, soft blanket and a fairy tale book. So here it is a book of Serbian Fairy Tales published in 2013 by Flying Fish Publications. The collection contains 20 stories, selected and translated by Jelena Ćurčić, edited by Sam Quinn and featuring illustrations by Rosanna Morris. It is part of a larger project  supported by Arts Council England and Serbian Council of Great Britain.

Here is part of the description offered on their internet site: "Serbian fairy tales were first compiled in 1821 by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, 'father of the study of Serbian folklore', who was a collaborator, friend and a well-known contemporary of Brothers Grimm and Goethe...The book also contains a wealth of information about the origin of the tales, about Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, Serbian folk lore and mythology and Serbian language, shining a light on the material previously not available in the UK."

And this is part of a review published on amazon by a reader: "the translation is easy to read, which makes the decision to leave key elements of Serbian folklore untranslated (Vila, and Zmaj, and Azdaja, and even Tzar) a gentle reminder that these are not English fairy tales, after all!"

Musicals

children's opera, Conway Hall

musical, Tabernacle Theater

Copić's little hedgehog really enjoys his stay in the UK. After being translated in English by Susan Curtis and published as a beautiful picturebook titled Hedgehog's Home, the story about the modest hedgehog will soon be performed in English as a musical for a second time. 

The first UK musical adaptation was done in a form of an opera with music by Emily Leather, in cooperation with the soprano singer, Elinor Moran. The premiere performances took place on 9 November 2012 at Conway Hall. In this show the professional musicians were joined on stage by the pupils from Fitzjohn’s Primary School in Camden.

On 15 December 2013 at the Tabernacle Theatre in London you can attend the premiere of a new musical. This is the first project of Honeybear Youth Theatre, part of Honey-tongued Theatre Productions Ltd. Honey-tongued Theatre Productions wishes to help transform the cultural perception of South-Eastern Europe.

For the Youngest

There is a colorful, bright and lyrical story staring animals that comes from former Yugoslavia. I have recently written a post about this book, but in Macedonian, so here it is in English as well. Some of you might be familiar with this beautiful picturebook, since it has been published in London by Istros Books, a new but rapidly developing publisher specialized in Eastern European literature, and Balkans literature in particular. Their only publication for children, so far, is Hedgehog's Home by Branko Ćopić.

The translation of the story in rhyme is craftily done by Susan Curtis and the illustrations are by Sanja Rešćek.

The original story was first published in 1949 in Zagreb inspiring young readers to love and protect their home, something so precious to the generation who just gone through the Second World War. Many generations in former Yugoslavia grow up with this story and the song based on the text. In its 2011 translation for the English speaking audience this love for the home shifts to the love for the natural environment and habitat, something so important to the kids of today.

The book has been many times put on stage in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia, most recently in Zagreb, Osijek and Sarajevo. Similarly the story was adapted for stage in UK as children's opera and musical.

Another review for this book is available at Outside In World, and if you want to buy your copy contact Istros Books directly.