2021

Tinna Ásgeirsdóttir is a translator and project manager. Ásgeirsdóttir has studied creative writing and translations at the University of Iceland and graduated with degrees in both philospohy and editing and publishing. She works part time as a project manager at the Writers’ Union of Iceland and as a translator of Swedish fiction. Among writers that she has translated are renowned author and playwright Sara Stridsberg, Matthias Edvardsson and Nina Wähä. Ásgeirsdóttir has been a jury member at both the Icelandic Translation Prize and Reykjavik City Children‘s Literary Prize.

Pavel Mandys (born 1972) is a journalist, book critic, and organizer of the annual Magnesia Litera book award. He has written numerous book reviews as an editor of the online literary magazine iLiteratura.cz. In 2012, he published the book Prague: The City of Literature to support the city’s successful bid to become a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. He was the editor of the short stories collection Prague Noir (2018) and in 2020 he wrote a book of the crime genre in Czech literature (Dějiny české detektivky, with Michal Jareš).

Inga Bodnarjuka–Mrazauskas is the executive manager of the Latvian literature export platform «Latvian Literature», responsible for developing and implementing strategy for promotion of Latvian literature abroad, which includes participation in international book fairs, organizing foreign publisher, media and festival visits, translation workshops, capacity building activities for translators and publishers, culture programs abroad, etc.

Entela Kasi is a poetess, novelist, translator and essayist. She is the president of the Albanian PEN Centre and a member of the ‘In search Committee Board’ of PEN International. She writes for Albanian journals and daily press, especially focusing on social movements, culture and politics. She has been invited as a guest writer by different Universities in Albania and abroad.

Dr. Tina Bilban (1983) is a literary critic, author, editor and a research associate at the Institute Nova revija. She is president of the Slovenian section of IBBY – International Board on Books for Young People and a member of the executive committee of the Slovene Literary Critics' Association. She works at the crossroads between contemporary philosophy, science and literature. Tina is author of five books, the sixth will be published this year.

Nenad Šaponja (1964) is born and lives in Novi Sad, Serbia. He is a poet, essayist, and literary critic whose verses are recognizable in contemporary Serbian poetry due to their stylistic perfection, hermetic quality and metaphysical insight. His poetry has been translated into English, French, Italian, Romanian, Macedonian, Slovak, Albanian, Azerbaijan, Chinese etc. The most popular of his books are Does the Touch of Your Soul Exist?; Sweet Death; and I Seem, Therefore I Am Not.

Mkrtich Matevosyan is a painter and graphic designer. He was born in 1961 in Gyumri city, Armenia. In 1995, he founded the Actual Art cultural union NGO which is mainly engaged in publishing activity. Actual Art publishes books on contemporary literature, art, philosophy, as well as children's books. Mkrtich Matevosyan is also the co-founder-editor of Actual Art magazine. He has 3 children.

David Machado was born in Lisbon in 1978. He has a degree in economics from ISEG, Lisbon's School of Economics and Management, but soon devoted himself to writing fiction and children's literature. In 2005, he was awarded the Branquinho da Fonseca Prize for his children's book A Noite dos Animais Inventados and, in 2010, he was awarded the SPA/RTP Author Prize, in the category for Best Children and Youth book, for O Tubarão na Banheira.

Since starting her career in the book business in 2012, Kristīne Pīkenena has been actively promoting Latvian and international literature. Currently she works as manager of the Jānis Roze Bookstore in Riga, at Kr.Barona street. She has taken part in three ICYB (International Congress of Young Booksellers), that used to gather young at heart booksellers from all around the globe. For more than six years she has been bringing together likeminded readers in the book club “Total Cover” (Totāls vāks), with monthly literary meetings on diverse subjects. 

Petrit Ymeri is the executive director of the Dituria publishing house, founded in May 1991. For several years, he was a literature teacher in high school and later a lecturer in foreign literature at the University of Tirana. Until 1991, he was a cultural journalist for the Albanian Radiotelevision and later the head of the editorial sector of the 8 November publishing house. From 2003 to 2014, Petrit Ymeri was a member of the Board of Directors of the Albanian Radiotelevision.