Croatia in 30 Stories: A Summer Bestseller
This nonfiction hit by Božo Skoko and Zvonimir Frka-Petešić, illustrated by Vedran Klemens, has won the prestigious GRAND PRIX MARCO POLO award and has already seen nine editions in four languages.
This nonfiction hit by Božo Skoko and Zvonimir Frka-Petešić, illustrated by Vedran Klemens, has won the prestigious GRAND PRIX MARCO POLO award and has already seen nine editions in four languages.
This summer, Naklada Ljevak recommends the nonfiction bestseller "Croatia in 30 Stories," which takes readers on a journey through the magnificent landscapes and intriguing history of our beautiful country. The authors are Božo Skoko and Zvonimir Frka-Petešić, with illustrations by Vedran Klemens providing the visual identity. This lavish edition was edited by Dražen Klarić, editor-in-chief of Večernji list, who also wrote the introduction, while the design is credited to Zoran Birman.
The book has so far been published in nine editions across four languages: three in Croatian, three in English, and one each in French and German. Since its release, it has frequently ranked among the best-selling domestic nonfiction titles, and in 2024 it won the esteemed GRAND PRIX MARCO POLO award from tourism journalists and writers.
Did you know that the Croatian flag is the only national flag featuring a checkerboard motif? Or that Nin is home to the "smallest cathedral in the world"? The book also reveals how Louis XIV, the powerful Sun King, popularized the stylish neckcloth, the precursor to the modern tie.
A special chapter is dedicated to the globally popular TV series "Game of Thrones," which was filmed in Croatia and sparked a huge interest among viewers to visit Dubrovnik and Split. The authors also point out that Croats are among the record holders in winning sports medals, organ donation, discovering asteroids, and the ritual of enjoying coffee in cafés.
Editor Dražen Klarić highlights in his introduction important facts from the history of Croatian literature that are unknown to many. "Many people around the world have certainly never encountered a single Croatian writer, yet the fact is that in the early modern period, Croatian writers were publishing bestsellers in Latin," Klarić noted in his introduction for Večernji list.
"Croatia is also home to one of the oldest public libraries in Europe, opened in 1463 at the Monastery of St. Dominic in Dubrovnik. Unlike other European libraries, which were mostly open to the literate elite and privileged citizens, the Dubrovnik library was one of the few where even complete strangers who happened to be in the Republic of Dubrovnik could read and research."
The book is available at the Ljevak Bookstore at Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 17 in Zagreb, on the Naklada Ljevak webshop, and in all well-stocked bookstores across Croatia.
