Kristian Novak is one of the most influential young Croatian novelists, and today it was made public that the English translation of one of his books, "Dark Mother Earth" can be purchased on Amazon.

Kristian Novak's first novel, Obješeni  (The Hanged) was published in 2005, but his first real success came in 2013 when he published his second novel, Črna mati zemla  (Dark Mother Earth). His second novel won numerous prizes, including tportal's prize for the best novel of the year in Croatia. It's often said that Črna mati zemla is one of the best Croatian novels of all time, and it has since been successfully adapted for stage, and a film adaptation is in progress. His third novel, Ciganin, ali najljepši  (Gypsy, But the Fairest of Them All) has repeated the success of its predecessor, as it has won numerous awards, has been adapted for the stage, a TV series is in production and it has been translated into several foreign languages.

The OceanMore publishing company, which published Dark Mother Earth and Gypsy, But the Fairest of Them All in Croatia, reported that the English translation of Dark Mother Earth can be purchased on Amazon. It is published by Amazon Crossing, the leading publisher of translated books in the US. Their mission is to publish award-winning and bestselling books from around the globe, written in languages other than English, making international literature accessible to many readers in the US (and to those who read in English) for the first time. Not only was the novel published by them, but it also made the front page of their website, as shown in the photo above. The novel was translated to English by Ellen Elias-Bursać, a world-renowned translator of South Slavic literature to English, who has translated many books by Dubravka Ugrešić and Slavenka Drakulić.  

The book is also available as an audiobook, with Will Damron as the narrator.

Kristian Novak's literary agency describes Dark Mother Earth as a crime/horror novel about Matija Dolenčec, a successful young writer struggling to overcome his creative and emotional block by reaching for his own, deeply repressed and forgotten story which was compensated by inventing all of his other stories. It’s a story about a personal journey from a bright, alienated, casual and urban place into one that is dark, intimate, essential and rural.

Matija’s suppressed memories slowly reveal the traumatic story of his childhood in a village in a rural region of Northern Croatia, of his father’s tragic death and eight mysterious suicides, of two demons haunting him, the loss of a friend, great myths and local legends, the historic turmoil of the nineties, everyday lies, guilt, cruelty, loneliness and love.

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Wednesday she would not be the one to decide what an artist would think or do, thus responding to a query about a five-pointed star sculpture to be displayed as part of the Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture project.

"In 1990, we decided to live in a state which would be democratic and which would not censor artists," she told MP Zlatko Hasanbegović during Question Time in parliament, adding that "artists will decide what an artist in Croatia will think, do, how they will act, not a minister or a commissary."

Hasanbegović complained about plans to place a concrete five-pointed star sculpture by Nemanja Cvijanovic on a high-rise in Rijeka.

The minister said that under the rules of the European Capital of Culture project, the city chose its artistic director and project team and they conceived the programme.

"As to whether something will or won't be done to a protected culture monument, if we receive a request, we will consider it, of course, taking into account whether it endangers the monument, and make a decision," she said.

Hasanbegović said he was sure the minister would eventually exert her authority and prevent the five-pointed star installation, firstly because of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who he said would not disregard numerous European resolutions on dealing with the consequences of communist totalitarianism, and secondly because of Italian minority MP Furio Radin.

More culture news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Montenegro has made the most progress among EU membership candidates and Croatia sees it as the next member state, Croatian Ambassador Veselko Grubišić said in Podgorica on Wednesday, presenting the priorities of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU.

Croatia will fight for its neighbours and their prospects of joining the EU as soon as possible, he said, presenting the priorities to Montenegrin officials.

"We'll continue to help all six countries in the region on their EU journey. We'll continue to fight for the neighbourhood," Grubišić said, calling on Montenegro's leaders to double their reform efforts.

"Montenegro is the leader in the accession process and must be the next EU member state. Neither we nor you have the right to a different outcome," he added.

He said attention would focus on deepening the single market, boosting competitiveness and promoting investment, digitisation and enterprise. "We'll support the implementation of the European pillar of social rights and underline the need to ensure a better life for every citizen of the EU and Europe."

Prime Minister Duško Marković said Montenegro was fully committed to meeting the membership requirements. Montenegro is negotiating under the strictest criteria the EU has ever had in the enlargement policy and in such conditions, with a relatively young administration, it is the leader of the European integration process, he added.

Although Montenegro does not advocate changing rules mid-game, its leaders believe "the negotiating process should be made more concrete and more measurable and its results clearer and more visible, both to the participants in the accession process and to all Montenegro citizens," Markovic said.

The head of the EU Delegation in the country, Aivo Orav, said enlargement was a process that was continuing, despite certain difficulties in recent months.

The message for Montenegro is that it's the leader of the integration process, that we have no more time to wait to resolve certain problems in the EU and that it's better to be ready for joining the EU as soon as possible, he said, adding that the rule of law was in the centre of the enlargement policy.

More news about relations between Croatia and Montenegro can be found in the Politics section.

Croatia has lost half a million workers in the last decade alone. Without foreign workers and with the state of the Croatian demographic crisis, at least according to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), we simply cannot go on.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of January, 2020, half a million workers have left Croatian territory in the last ten years. We knew that the shortage of workers in Croatia was a dire and alarming situation, but the rally at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Rijeka was now backed up by extremely worriyng figures, writes local Rijeka portal rijecanin.rtl.hr.

Measures to curb the negative trend were also presented, and one of the most important economic measures was the total abolition of quotas for foreign workers.

Despite the chronic shortage of workers, this will not be felt here in season. Aware of the situation, the owner of an Opatija restaurant, Stipe Dunatov, prepared himself on time.

"Recently I was in Dubai, interviewing twenty people, they are mostly from Pakistan and India and they're ready to come to Croatia. They're ready to come to the EU to work. Nine people are coming here to work for me, I'm opening a new Japanese restaurant and fourteen people will work there,'' Dunatov says, clearly doing all he can to avoid the effects of the ongoing Croatian demographic crisis.

"In the past ten years, from 2008 to 2018, Croatia has lost 500,000 people in the working contingent, 200,000 naturally, meaning the aging of the population, leaving the working contingent and inflow of children into the working contingent, and about 300,000 have been lost to migration," emphasised Davorko Vidović, a counse;lor for Labour Policy and Employment at CCE.

The plan is to include people in the labour market and prevent emigration, and the Croatian Employment Service is also involved in funding through the European Social Fund.

“We expect about 25,000 new people to be included in 2020. Looking at the three-year period, we can say that a total of over 126,000 people have gone through the system of active employment policy measures,'' says Ante Lončar, Director of the Croatian Employment Service.

About 40,000 foreigners (non-EU) worked in Croatia last year, and 65,000 permits were issued for that purpose. From the middle of this year, there will be no more quotas. However, the tourist season has to be prepared for, because the paperwork takes about two months to process owing to the unutterably slow system and the ever-lagging MUP.

The shortage of workers, according to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, is not a temporary problem that will disappear. Foreign labour is what awaits Croatia in the future.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more on the Croatian demographic crisis.

Dragitza is a brilliant young Croatian Peruvian who decided to seek a better life in her homeland. She started her own business, has a stand-up comedy act and is a finalist on a popular TV cooking show.

Founder of Puro Amor Design in Zagreb

You may not have heard of Dragitza Rastegorac yet, but you have probably heard of the brand Puro Amor Design, which has been selling cups with wacky and personalized labels for a while. This 29-year-old was born and raised in Peru, but her Croatian roots brought her back to the region her family came from. She recently spoke to Veronika Švob/SUPER1/Telegram about life in Zagreb, her first job, stand-up comedy and her current business over coffee at Cogito Café on Deželićeva Ulica.

Dragitza was born and spent 26 years of her life in Lima, the capital of Peru. Her father is originally from Kupres and her mother is from Bugojno, so when she turned nine, she had the opportunity to spend two years in Croatia before returning to Peru again. After graduating from high school and college in Lima, Dragitza decided that she no longer wanted to live Peru and decided to come to Croatia.

Puro Amor Design | Facebook

Left Corruption and Poverty in Peru for Better Croatian Life

"After graduation, I didn't even look for a job there, but came to Zagreb. The people of Lima most often go to Argentina to look for work or further education, but I did not want to go that route. Something drew me to Croatia.”

She claims that it was not because of the people and adds that the Peruvians are very warm and know how to socialize with others, but Lima is a very unsafe place to live.

"There is so much poverty, and corruption which does not benefit people at all, and I simply felt that I did not belong there. While I was growing up, we often spent time in Croatian emigrant social circles. Most of those Croats had arrived in Peru after the Second World War and were already third generation. I am second generation, for example.”

“I studied communication science, and the course of study is quite different than that in Croatia. I learned a lot about advertising and graphic design. After I completed my degree, I applied for a scholarship in Croatia, which was not difficult to get, because there are plenty of openings. I think the goal is to encourage Croatians to eventually return from abroad. Not all of them stay, of course, and some only come for a year or two.”

She first came alone, lived in a dormitory on the Sava, and met a lot of people from Peru, Argentina and Canada at that time.

Studied Croatian As Scholarship Student in Croaticum

“I studied Croatian through the Croaticum program at the Filozofski Fakultet (Faculty of Philosophy) and it was quite challenging, but I believe it is currently the best program for learning Croatian. It was not my first contact with the Croatian language because I came here at the age of nine and went to school here for two years.”

She spoke Spanish all her life, but what she had learned as a child helped her a lot. "The Croatian language is very difficult, it is really demanding, especially when it comes to the cases. I can't compare it to Spanish at all.”

She speaks Croatian very well today, adding that she still messes up the cases sometimes. After her classes ended, she stayed in Croatia for another month before returning to Lima. But then she came back to after half a year and knew then that she wanted to stay Croatia. "I had a great roommate from Slavonski Brod and met a lot of foreigners, somehow it all fell into place."

First Job as Manager at Museum of Illusions

"My first job in Zagreb was at the Museum of Illusions. I saw an ad saying that they were looking for someone who spoke English and that Spanish was an advantage. I applied for this job thinking that I would be the guide in the museum, not run the whole museum. However, it turned out that I became manager of the museum and stayed there for about a year.”

She points out that it was no problem for her to get the job, and that she rejected as many as two offers in the meantime.

"Many thought I got the job through a relationship, but I really didn't. After a year at the museum I was working on another project for them, but it didn't work out very well and I was glad when I got fired. Everyone around me was amazed to see that I kept a smile on my face, but I just had to.”

She had her own business plan in mind by then, or rather she had just begun thinking about it, but hadn’t done anything yet.

Puro Amor Design | Facebook

Created Business Plan Out of Love for Collecting Cups

She first came up with the idea of making cups because she collected them. “I was constantly searching for cups with Croatian inscriptions and could not find them anywhere. Now there are several cups, but at that time I couldn't find anything interesting.” It occurred to her to start making them herself, so she began with drawings, and was somewhat inspired by the Spanish brand Mr. Wonderful, which does similar work in all languages. "So, I started and showed my friend some ideas and she really liked them.

"My dad lent me money to print the first 250 pieces, I opened a Paušalni obrt (or lump sum business – I still don't know exactly what that means, but I am a lump sum) and started the business.”

After she reached out to the Instagram profile @zagrebfacts as it offered her a lot of Zagreb slang expressions; people started inquiring. "That was two years ago, I remember that I had sold almost a hundred pieces in just a few days. That early success fueled my motivation to continue. "

After that, she bought her first printer, then a second and third. She started her business in a room in a rented apartment and eventually moved it into the living room. "My emphasis is on personalized mugs, and I offer customers five options to choose from. Then Mother's Day came, and the business simply swelled to such an extent that shops started contacting me with their orders.” Then the media became interested and there were competitions. She even tried to work with Croatian influencers, but that did not progress. However, she had the great fortune of opening a showroom in on Jurišićeva Ulica.

Opened Puro Amor Design Shop on Jurišićeva Ulica

"I am here alone most of the time. My best friend helps me, and everything goes from production to sale here." Although she started with cups, she began producing canvas bags and feathers last February, and next February she expects to continue with t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Now she is making a decent living. "I do not expect to make a fortune, but I think something like this was needed in Croatia. At least that’s how it turned out for now.” You can follow Puro Amor Design on Facebook and Instagram.

Moonlighting as Stand-Up Comedienne at Studio Smijeha

She also took acting classes in Peru and was part of an acting ensemble, Dragitza has a few plays behind her. "This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go to America after college. I even auditioned for the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, which is quite demanding but too expensive, so I gave up. It was a good confirmation to me that I have talent, so when I came to Zagreb, I enrolled in Studio Kubus, but realized that it was quite difficult for me to act in Croatian.”

Shortly after, she found a stand-up workshop at Studio smijeha (Studio of Laughs) and decided to go there.

"Marina Orsag told me that I was very endearing, that I had a super accent, and advised me to write some text. She soon asked me when I was planning on performing on open mic, and although I was excited, I didn't tell anyone I was going to do it. The show turned out great, and the crowd was roaring with laughter. The topics revolved around my parents, life in Zagreb, about being told that I’d never find a job here, and about some of my observations as a foreigner."

She also draws his inspiration from her love life, which she says is totally chaotic. "Well, I borrow stories from girlfriends, funny down-to-earth stories but I'm pretty focused on women's topics. From PMS to the gynecologist.” She doesn't write as often as she would like but hopes to hold a new performance every month. "A lot of people come to listen to stand-up, it's brilliant to realize that you can make people laugh. I'm an optimistic person and see good things in everyone. I'm a positive person by nature."

In her free time, she goes to Praćka for karaoke, while she chooses Katran for dancing. "Well, that was a bit of a shock to me. In Peru, you dance wherever you go but there’s nothing here. It's so hard to get people to move around here. And at first, I went to Latin American dance events, because I missed them so much.”

Dragitza Rastegorac | Facebook

Made it to Semi Finals on Popular Cooking TV Show

She loves to cook, mostly Peruvian cuisine, and her mom sends her spices regularly to make those dishes work. "We eat very spicy foods, and prepare meat for a long time, and coriander and yellow chili are my favorite spices." She admits he does not excel in preparing fish. In Peru, raw fish, known as ceviche, is one of the most famous dishes. "From Croatian cuisine, I love pate, beans and greens and Istrian specialties which my roommate’s mom sends." Dragitza also recently made it to the semi-finals on the TV show Kuhan i pečen (Cooked and Baked).

"She likes the pace of life here. Zagreb is not that big of a city and I can get everything done in one day. The only sad thing for me is that Croatians want to leave the country and they often tell me that I won’t stay here for very long. I don't think they appreciate what they have, but I don't know. And it wasn't that easy for me to start this adventure. There were days when I only sold one or two cups, but if you are persistent and if you work hard, there is no door that won’t open. Croatians do not consider the option of starting their own business after graduation, while that is common practice in Peru. If you don't find a job, you can figure out one out for yourself. I have a dozen more ideas, but don't have time for everything.”

Well, Dragitza is a good example of commitment all the way to the finish line, and nothing can stop her. She's truly inspirational.

Follow our Made in Croatia page and Diaspora page to keep updated on Croatia returnees, their business ventures and successes.

January 15, 2020 - Rijeka will compete for the prestigious European Best Destinations 2020 title. 

Specifically, Novi List reports that from January 15 to February 5, 2020, hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world will vote for their favorite destinations, and the Croatian city will compete among 19 destinations, including Paris, Prague, Rome, Madrid, Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Colmar, Athens, Sibiu, Namur, Menorca, Heviz, Cascais, Tbilisi, Bydgoszcz, Vienna, Cork, Rochefort and Rotterdam.

The selection is conducted by European Best Destinations, a European organization based in Brussels. The best European destination has been selected since 2009 to promote tourism and culture in Europe, in cooperation with more than 300 partners of tourism offices and the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) network created by the European Commission.

Maximilien Lejeune, President of the European Best Destinations Organization, states that they are honored and proud that Rijeka is part of the eleventh edition of this competition, which brings together Europe’s best destinations.

He points out that Rijeka is a unique city that offers travelers real experiences. The nomination for this prestigious title is also welcomed in Rijeka.

Petar Škarpa, director of the Rijeka Tourist Board, said he was extremely pleased that the European organization recognized Rijeka as one of the best European destinations in 2020.

This year is significant for Rijeka, as the city also holds the European Capital of Culture title. The nomination for the best European destination is the result of many years of continuous growth in tourist traffic of the entire destination.

A vibrant year-long program will satisfy even the most demanding critics, and we urge all readers, partners and city lovers to cast their vote for Rijeka,” Škarpa said.

The public can cast their votes here and voting is open until February 5. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition, that the political legacy of the first president, Franjo Tuđman, was that in less than 30 years Croatia had politically established itself internationally and was now chairing the Council of the EU.

"Twenty-eight years ago, Croatia was internationally recognised and today is also the 22nd anniversary of the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River Region into the constitutional order, which is Croatia's success and president Tuđman's political legacy," Plenković posted on Twitter.

"In less than three decades, Croatia won the Homeland War thanks to Croatian defenders, it politically established itself internationally as a member of the European Union and NATO, and today presides over the Council of the European Union at a crucial time for the future of Europe."

Twenty-eight years ago, Croatia was recognised by the EU member states. Germany, which together with the Vatican played a key role in that, established diplomatic relations with Croatia on 15 January 1992. At the time, the war was on and almost a third of the country was under occupation by the Yugoslav army and Serb rebels. On the same day in 1998, Croatia completed the peaceful reintegration of the Danube River Region, reclaiming its recognised borders.

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) chief Krešo Beljak on Wednesday reiterated his apology over a tweet in which he justified political assassinations in ex-Yugoslavia, however, he found it hypocritical of those "who support war criminals and terrorists that disgraced Croatia" to criticise him.

"I have apologised and I am sincerely sorry. Of course, I do not support killings. I let myself be provoked and this is my big mistake," Beljak said, adding that in the future he obviously would have "to control it".

He said that it was hypocritical of those who support war criminals and terrorists that disgraced Croatia to call him out. He, however, stopped short of specifying who they are.

All that does not justify my conduct, said Beljak, who recently wrote that if UDBA, the Yugoslav intelligence agency, killed over 100 people in the Croatian emigrant community in the USA, Germany, Canada and Australia, "then it was not enough. We could see who did all sorts of shit and caused the wars from 1991 to 1999. Fascists in the former Yugoslavia and other countries who, unfortunately, managed to escape UDBA."

His tweet has been seen as an act of his condoning politically motivated assassinations of emigrants by UDBA during the time of communist-ruled Yugoslavia. Beljak has come under attack of politicians from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) as well as from the opposition Bridge party.

In relation to HDZ vice president Milijan Brkić's statement that the "lukewarm distancing" of Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Davor Bernardić from Beljak's tweet disqualified him from any plan to be the country's prime minister, Beljak said today that it was clear that the HDZ, which lost the last two elections, would stick to criticising his controversial tweet.

Beljak, whose HSS is a coalition partner of the SDP, believes that Bernardić can be premier "as such are the trends".

Beljak said that the HDZ led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković "has made too many omissions in the last four years to again win the confidence of the people ".

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.