North MacedoniaBojan Sazdov
TRI Publishing Centre

A landlocked country of the south-central Balkans, the Republic of North Macedonia shares borders with Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and Bulgaria. A prominent player in the country’s publishing landscape is TRI Publishing Centre, which has showcased the world’s finest literature in translation since its founding in 1999. TRI has published a number of titles from Japan, ranging from works by modern authors like Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryunosuke to Murakami Haruki, Kawaguchi Toshikazu, Yoshimoto Banana, and other contemporary voices. When people in North Macedonia are looking for translations of Japanese literature to read, they often head straight to the TRI catalog.

Bojan Sazdov, editor-in-chief at TRI for almost 20 years now, has worked on the publication of more than 500 books across a wide array of genres and topics. “TRI’s substantial collection of Japanese literature might be a reflection of my personal admiration of Japan,” he commented prior to his participation in the Central and Eastern European editors’ program. “Right now, there’s a wave of Japanese novels trending among readers worldwide. Our plan at TRI is to expand our translations of Japanese literature with more titles in the next two years. We’re also very much interested in translating Japanese comics, which are currently underrepresented in North Macedonia.”

As Sazdov’s first trip to Japan, the program (Central and Eastern European Editors’ Visit) was something he will not soon forget. “Receiving firsthand knowledge of Japanese literature and the publishing scene in the country, all the way down to the finer points, left impressions that will stay with me for a long time,” he says. Sazdov reports that one of the lasting memories from his stay was the time he spent with associate professor Abe Ken’ichi of the University of Tokyo, who generously dedicated himself to the participants both as a lecturer and as a supportive and open conversation partner. Another highlight, Sazdov shares, was the visit to the Waseda International House of Library (Haruki Murakami Library), whose namesake is an author he has long held in high regard.

“The Haruki Murakami Library is like a mecca for every lover of Murakami’s oeuvre,” Sazdov says. “Professors David Karashima and Ono Masatsugu (both of Waseda University) welcomed us there and engaged with us in discussions of Japanese literature, which was such a tremendous experience. Those few hours I spent in that space are something that I constantly retell and look back on with particular joy,” Sazdov recalls fondly. “To pass through the neighborhoods where some of my favorite literary works take place and to experience the specific atmosphere present in a number of Japanese novels was very inspiring and deeply satisfying. It really is as special as reading the books themselves,” he explains. “Literature is a real way to get to know and experience a culture—and when you have the opportunity to do so in real life, it is priceless.”

Sazdov also notes the invaluable opportunities had in visiting publishing houses, meeting fellow editors, and receiving discerning advice. Through the presentation by Higuchi Seiichi (executive director, Japan Book Publishers Association), he gathered a wealth of information on the business side of Japan’s publishing scene. In his own role as president of the Macedonian Association of Publishers, Sazdov looks forward to passing on the insights he gained to his colleagues in North Macedonia.