Ivan Sršen, who established Sandorf Publishing in 2008, has been a significant figure in Croatian publishing for more than two decades. In 2017, he co-founded Sandorf Passage with American editor Buzz Poole, focusing on bringing Balkan literature to English-speaking audiences. “We already knew the literature, we knew the translators, we obviously knew the English-language book market, so we decided to start our own company,” Sršen said, describing the inception of Sandorf Passage.
Sandorf Passage has published 24 books in the last four years, slightly exceeding their initial plan of four titles per year. The press focuses primarily on novels and short stories, with one or two poetry collections annually.
He highlighted the success of several Sandorf Passage titles, including Robert Perišić’s A Cat at the End of the World, which was listed among the most important translations published in 2022 by the Wall Street Journal. Another significant release was Vera Mutafchieva’s The Case of Cem, a Bulgarian classic that has already sold through its third printing. “Mutafchieva is the best historical fiction writer of Bulgaria in the 20th century, definitely, but I would say one of Europe’s and the world’s best historical fiction writers.” He explained that the novel, which he had published in Croatia about 10 years ago, is about Cem, a Turkish Sultan from the end of the 15th century who was exiled.
Despite the book’s challenging subject matter—“It’s a 500-page book about the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, written by a Bulgarian female author in 1967 behind the Iron Curtain”—Sršen believed in its potential. “That’s very exciting about Sandorf Passage because we allow ourselves to do things we really believe in,” he said. The success of The Case of Cem was bolstered by its translator, Angela Rodel, who won the International Booker Prize for her translation of Georgi Gospodinov’s Time Shelter during the book’s production process. Sršen noted: “It really went perfectly. And we had really great attention for this book, and we are now selling the third edition.”
In addition to his work with Sandorf Passage, Sršen continues to lead Sandorf Publishing in Croatia, releasing about 20 titles per year across various genres including literature, philosophy, and history. He emphasized the advantages of working in a smaller market: “If you work in culture, you know everyone. And if you want to work with the best people, you can work with the best people.”
Sršen is also involved in several international literary initiatives, including the Ulysses’ Shelter residency program and the Lit Link Festival, which brings international publishers and writers to Croatia each year.
Despite the challenges of running an independent press, Sršen remains committed to his vision. “We work a lot, and we really like what we are doing,” he said. “Sometimes we have to get by from month to month, but we will never give up publishing, it’s what we do and who we are!”
Asked about the surprising interest in Balkan literature in the U.S. and why the market was growing, Sršen observed: “Suddenly, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the rise of right-wing politics, Eastern European history begins to matter. There’s fear spreading around. With fear, there is also curiosity.”
