23/05/2026
Valentina nam prenosi utiske sa književne rezidencije u Skoplju, radujemo se prilikama za saradnju sa tamošnjom scenom 💫
Valentina Knežević from Montenegro on a literary residency in Skopje
Valentina Knežević, literary theorist and editor of the Literary Program at the Cultural Information Center "Budo Tomović" in Podgorica was staying in Skopje in May, as part of the literary residency organized by the publishing house "Goten", supported by the European translation and book network "Traduki".
She was selected for the residency as part of her professional interest to follow the literary scene in Macedonia more effectively and professionally, and to involve contemporary Macedonian authors in the programs she organizes in Podgorica. During the stay she established contacts with local authors, publishers, and literary professionals. Through these connections, she wanted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the main trends in the Macedonian literary scene and its leading figures.
The planned activities were also aimed at exploring opportunities for regional collaboration, and discuss potential ways of developing future cooperative projects.
Valentina Knežević impressions from her stay in Skopje: “I dedicated particular attention to meetings with publishers and representatives of literary organizations, with the aim of encouraging more frequent regional cooperation and literary translation.
What left a particularly strong impression on me was the close cooperation among Macedonian writers, translators, publishers, and festival organizers, as well as the strong cultural network that contributes to the visibility of contemporary literature and regional connections.
My stay in Skopje, as well as visits to Ohrid, Velestovo, and Kumanovo, was a valuable professional and personal experience. The contacts and collaborations established during the residency confirmed the strong potential for further connections between the Montenegrin and Macedonian literary scenes through festivals, guest appearances, publishing projects, and translation initiatives.”
Valentina Knežević – biography:
Valentina Knežević, born in 1978 in Podgorica, holds a degree in World Literature and Literary Theory from the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade. Her early career was shaped by work as a cultural journalist for leading Montenegrin media, including the daily newspaper Publika, Radio 98, and Radio Television of Montenegro. Since 2012, she has worked as editor of the Literature Programme at the Cultural and Information Center “Budo Tomović” in Podgorica, curating a dynamic range of literary events and initiatives.
She is also the coordinator of the Young Writers Forum, a vibrant literary community established in 2015, and the editor-in-chief of LiTeritorija, the annual regional literary festival founded in 2016. As an active literary professional, Valentina Knežević has been a member of numerous jury panels, including competitions for cultural creativity organized by the Municipality of Podgorica (2018–2024), as well as juries for both children’s and adult literary contests.
Her international engagements include jury service for the selection of works for German translation in the DAAD-supported project “(No) More Utopias? – Forum for Engaged Young Literature,” and for the VERSschmuggel project, an ongoing initiative of the Haus für Poesie in Berlin. In 2024 and 2025, she was selected as a jury member for the “Jovan Popović” competition, organized by Partizanska knjiga publishing house. Additionally, Valentina is a book editor at Platforma knjiga in Podgorica. She has been appointed as the artistic director of the International Literature Festival in Podgorica for 2025.
