Ana Schnabl is a Slovenian novelist, editor and critic based in the alpine town of Kamnik, Slovenia. Here are her five favourite Balkan books.
Newcomers by Lojze Kovačič, translated by Michael Biggins
Kovačič recounts his family’s expulsion from Switzerland in 1938 and their life in Slovenia (then Yugoslavia) during WWII. Through a child’s eye, he captures the dislocation of migration with haunting clarity.
Tatin sin / Daddy’s Son by Dino Pešut
Pešut’s raw and witty narrative explores a queer son’s complex relationship with his ailing father in contemporary Croatia. Themes of family, shame, and identity intertwine in prose that’s both brutal and beautiful.
Catch the Rabbit by Lana Bastašić
A haunting road trip through friendship, memory and the shadows of post-Yugoslavia, Bastašić blends sharp dialogue and surreal flourishes to chart the mysteries of a vanished friend and a fractured homeland.
Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe by Kapka Kassabova
Kassabova ventures into the borderlands of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece, where myths of smugglers linger in folklore. Mixing reportage and personal reflection, she maps Europe’s edges with lyricism.
Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavić
A postmodern masterpiece, Pavić’s novel allows readers to navigate the enigmatic history of the Khazars – whose existence is shrouded in mystery. It intertwines elements of magic, philosophy and history.
