SPLIT, Oct 10 (Hina) - The only Italian publisher which specialises in translations of Croatian authors is Milan-based "Hefti". The 48 titles published in the 12 years of "Hefti's" existence include works by Slobodan Novak, Antun
Soljan, Ranko Marinkovic, Ivan Golub, and Nedjeljko Fabri. "Hefti" was established by Snjezana Hefti, born in the southern Croatian port of Split, who is a resident of Milan where she lives with her Swiss husband. "I took the name 'Hefti' after my husband's last name. In those days, in the mid-1980s, one couldn't find translations of Croatian authors. Some Slovene and Serb authors had been translated, but no Croats, so I decided to try and publish something," said Snjezana Hefti. She recalled offering some titles to Italian publishers, including the renowned "Mondadori". The response had been that it was difficult to publish books like those unless one was certain of their co
SPLIT, Oct 10 (Hina) - The only Italian publisher which specialises
in translations of Croatian authors is Milan-based "Hefti". The 48
titles published in the 12 years of "Hefti's" existence include
works by Slobodan Novak, Antun Soljan, Ranko Marinkovic, Ivan
Golub, and Nedjeljko Fabri.
"Hefti" was established by Snjezana Hefti, born in the southern
Croatian port of Split, who is a resident of Milan where she lives
with her Swiss husband.
"I took the name 'Hefti' after my husband's last name. In those
days, in the mid-1980s, one couldn't find translations of Croatian
authors. Some Slovene and Serb authors had been translated, but no
Croats, so I decided to try and publish something," said Snjezana
Hefti.
She recalled offering some titles to Italian publishers, including
the renowned "Mondadori". The response had been that it was
difficult to publish books like those unless one was certain of
their commercial success. So Hefti decided to publish them
herself.
The first book she published was Predrag Matvejevic's
"Mediteranski Brevijar" (Mediterranean Breviary), in 1987. The
book was a success, which encouraged Hefti to continue. She said it
was a pioneering job, in which she was assisted by eminent
intellectuals, among whom she singled out Grytzcko Mascioni,
former manager of the Italian Cultural Centre in Zagreb, and Tonko
Maroevic.
"Hefti" recently expanded its editions by publishing some Italian
authors in both Italian and Croatian.
Slavist students are the most frequent buyers of "Hefti's"
editions, while literary critics are its biggest fans, said the
owner. The books are printed in 1,000 copies. "Even though other
Italian publishers publish Croatian authors today, we have become a
reference point for Croatian literature in Italy," Hefti said.
She added it would be nice if the Croatian Culture Ministry
purchased more of "Hefti's" editions, or assist as it did
financially in the latest, a bilingual anthology of contemporary
Croatian verse.
Hefti said she did not establish the publishing house for
commercial reasons, but for love. She said that if she had wanted to
earn money, she would not have gone into book publishing.
(hina) ha