Rights guide

V.B.Z. Literary Prize for the Best Unpublished Novel

2002 – 2021

V.B.Z. is a publisher, bookseller and distributor from Croatia with independent companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Serbia. Just like large European publishers, V.B.Z. asserted itself by publishing the widest range of editions. From the founding of the company in 1991, V.B.Z. has published more than 1700 titles, mostly works of the most appreciated Croatian and foreign contemporary writers.

In 2002 V.B.Z. founded literary prize for the best unpublished novel that promotes young authors from the region. The contest was organized at the V.B.Z.’s initiative with the aim of increasing interest for prose writing and prose reading in Croatia. During a period of more than ten years of its existence this contest has become one of the most important literary contests and cultural events in this part of the world. Moreover, it has the biggest prize fond for cultural achievements in Croatia and region. A large media interest for this literary prize is a result of two key points – an exceptional prize fond of HRK 100.000 which makes it the biggest prize fond in the Croatian culture in general, and the fact that the contest is anonymous, which promotes the principle of equality. The writers who have won at the Contest so far, and whose novels were elected among more than a hundred manuscripts which arrive for the Contest every year, have been given excellent reviews from the critics as well as a good reception from readers in this part of the world.

Since 2008 V.B.Z. has been one of the organizers of the Authors and Books Festival held annually in the city of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. The ‘vRIsak’ (‘Scream’) festival managed to gain regional character with guest authors from Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Albania, as well as countries from all around Europe, such as Finland, Romania, Bulgaria.

In 2012, V.B.Z. initiated the publication of the series of books “The Best of Croatian Literature” – translations of classic and best contemporary Croatian fiction into European languages.

V.B.Z.’s editorial department has always paid special attention to the choice of translators of high-quality fiction and made sure that translation of such fiction is of the highest quality – to complement the original. The translators who translate literary fiction V.B.Z. publishes are all members of the Croatian Association of Literary Translators, well-known translators, professionals in their field, many teaching at the University of Humanities in Zagreb. V.B.Z.’s editors and language editors also take special care of the translated text ensuring the highest possible quality.