Booksa - Completely Different Literary Club

About Booksa

 

Club Booksa is a space that functions as a literary club and a youth club on Martićeva street. Booksa is characterized by a very informal and relaxed atmosphere. It was created by three young women who once studied English Studies together, but decided to leave their good jobs and embark on an adventure of art and book sales. The city of Zagreb pays the rent on the premises, and in return Booksa doesn't serve alcohol, but just coffee, juices, tea and cocoa. Prices are symbolic. Literary evenings, book promotions, concerts and quizzes are held every week. Those couple of nights in the week you can have a beer because the owners have concluded that local artists and bohemians can't survive without it.

Booksa has various programs focused on the field of literature and culture. Among the visitors you can find high school students, students, pensioners, freelancers, artists, people working in media, cultural institutions, and NGO organizations. In one word - everybody is welcome. In Booksa, you can have a coffee or tea, browse through books and magazines in the reading room, study alone or in a group, socialize or get involved in some of the book clubs or workshops. Behind the club Booksa there is the Association for promotion of culture - Kulturtreger and therefore you need to be a member of the club. The annual membership fee is 10 kunas which can be paid in cash or you can purchase some books from Booksa's bookstore.

 

 

 Image credit: Booksa vimeo

Projects

 1. 'Literary boudoir' - Literary boudoir is a multi-year program of the club Booksa which consists of several parts:

 # Literature on canvas (the relationship of literature and film in all its forms),
 # SF in Booksa (forums dedicated to sci-fi literature),
 # From cover to cover (interview with the authors of contemporary Croatian literature)
 # Antitvarijat (forums dedicated to science and non-fiction titles).

The programs are always on Tuesdays, from 7 to 9 pm and usually include a conversation with one or two guests. The specialty of the Literary boudoir is an informal and very lively atmosphere - the audience is actively involved by asking questions, comments, and sometimes correcting 'inaccuracies' of the guests!

2. Literary Festival "Revija malih književnosti" - it celebrated its 10th edition last year

It is a festival presenting young contemporary authors from the region (from Austria to Greece) that enjoy success in their own countries while they have no published books in Croatia.

3. Travel books

One of the most popular programs created with a little encouragement from the audience. Basically, the idea is to share travel adventures from all over the globe.

4. Music program ''Škrabić''

It has been running for five years, and it represents the songwriting scene of Croatia and the region. Škrabić presents the young and yet unpopular singer-songwriters who sing only their music. The entry is free, but it is possible to make a voluntary contribution which the audience can put in the collection plate, and all the money collected is going to musicians.

5.  Creative writing workshops and book clubs

A standard program that you can find on a regular night hanging around Booksa.

Image credit: Booksa Facebook Page

Booksa today 

Booksa, as a small independent bookstore with a great offer of beautiful literature, has turned into a distinctive clubroom with a rich program and a solid position on the cultural scene of Zagreb. Booksa's program has grown over the years and has become more than a literature club. Now they have promotions and discussions with authors, editors and reviewers which are complemented by music, creative workshops, entertainment and presentation programs. In time, the club has become a place for socializing, meetings, learning, reading and writing, and now the doors are open six days a week to all visitors and interested individuals who have something to share with the public.

There is a literature website booksa.hr, and the Center for Documentation of Independent Culture is at the same address as Booksa. The purpose of the Center is to collect and document everything which is produced on the independent cultural scene in the past twenty years. Booksa has over 12,000 members, and the list of famous names that were guests at the club in the past ten years extends from local and foreign writers, musicians to travel writers and many other artists. Booksa hosted numerous festivals, art initiatives, associations, and activists.