An Evening with the Author: Vesna Evans on Book, Home, and Belonging

On Tuesday, 10 December 2024, we had the honor of hosting Vesna Evans, an author born in Sarajevo who divides her life between the Czech Republic and the Kingdom of Norway. The occasion for her guest appearance at the Czech Language Editing Department of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures of the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy was the presentation of the novel Sametový domov (The Velvet Homeland).
The event, organized by the Czech Language Editing Department of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures in cooperation with the NIRSA Center, brought together students, as well as lovers of literature, the Czech language, and culture. During the evening, a wide range of topics were discussed, among which the topics of home, identity, and language were of particular interest. On this occasion, the author also shared her experiences of life in the Czech Republic with those present. One of the most notable moments of the evening was the joint reading of an excerpt from the novel, organized by Vesna Evans and students who chose Czech language and culture as their elective.
Additional significance to the event was given by the published translation contest, which invited all interested candidates with knowledge of the Czech language to translate a selected part of the novel Sametový domov (Velvet Homeland).
The president of the jury of the translation competition, Mr. Hasan Zahirović, a prominent translator of works by Czech authors into Bosnian, addressed the attendees via online inclusion.
The special ending of the evening was ensured by Mr. Josef Zrzavecky, Deputy Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina Mrs. Jane K. Lolić Šindelkova and Attaché for Culture, who addressed inspiring words of support to the students.