Discussion with: Slobodan Šnajder – writer, Siniša Kasumović – translator, Agnieszka Krawiec – moderator   POL, HRV, PJM

Slobodan Šnajder’s Czas miedzi (The Age of Brass), frequently lauded as his definitive work, tells the poignant story of the author’s family, particularly his father’s conscription into the Wehrmacht during World War II. More than just a family saga, this Croatian novel is a vast historical tapestry, portraying generations ensnared by the turbulent past and burdened by the clashing legacies of their forebears. Šnajder leverages his personal biography to illuminate two centuries of ideological divides and conflict.
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The story introduces Kempf, who, alongside his countrymen, seeks a new life, ultimately settling in Slavonia—a historical region in eastern Croatia, nestled between the Sava and Drava rivers. Decades pass, and subsequent generations of Germans call Slavonia home. Yet, in 1940, with Europe once again engulfed in war, this deeply rooted minority is compelled to fight for the Reich—a nation they now perceive as alien.

The book has garnered significant critical acclaim. France’s Le Monde praised it as a “contemporary epic,” stating: “Like Olga Tokarczuk, Šnajder has created a novel about a Europe that has lost its diversity and been destroyed by fascism, communism, and more recently, nationalism.” Croatian journalists from Jutarnji list also expressed immense admiration, declaring it “undoubtedly the most important Croatian novel of recent years.”

Slobodan Šnajder (born 1948 in Zagreb) is a Croatian writer, publicist, author of short stories, plays, and essays. He studied philosophy and English philology. He co-founded and edited “Prolog,” a theater magazine. His play Skóra węża (Snake Skin) was published in “Dialog” magazine and later staged in Krakow and Warsaw in 1999.
His novel, “The Age of Brass,” has been widely translated into Slovenian, Macedonian, German, Italian, Dutch, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and English. It has received numerous accolades, including the Meša Selimović Award, the Mirko Kovač Award, the Radomir Konstantinović Award, and the Kočić Pen. Šnajder currently lives and works on one of the central Adriatic islands.

Siniša Kasumović (born 1966 in Osijek)

is a translator who graduated in sociology from the University of Łódź. He works at a music school in Skierniewice, runs two music associations, and occasionally plays bass guitar at the Skierniewice Jazz Meetings. Between 2018 and 2021, he wrote short columns for the local newspaper ITS. He began translating literature in 2009, initially translating Polish literature into Croatian (authors such as Stasiuk, Miłosz, Varga). Since 2018, he has been translating Croatian literature into Polish. So far, about ten works have been published in his translation. He is still awaiting his literary debut.