28 July, 2018 - The jury of the 16th Book Square, composed of Ratko Božović, Đorđe Malavrazić and Voislav Bulatović, which made the decision on the awards for the Publishing Project of the Year, the Best Edition, the Most Beautiful Book and the Children's Book of the Year. As noted in the official statement in the ending speech of the 16th Book Square, awards went to:
Best Project of the Year – Publisher: Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, Podgorica and National Museum of Montenegro, Cetinje, for the book “Otisak & znak” (“Print and Sign”), Author: Mile Grozdanić.
In the facade of the work “Otisak & znak” there is a dedication: "I dedicate this book to my students of fine arts and graphic design who have fulfilled my life." Since Mile Grozdanić is a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade and Cetinje, who left an indelible mark on the formation generation, this dedication talks about how much the process continues to perceive as a two-way human communication and mutual spiritual permeation. His own artistic and graphic talent, Mile Grozdanić showed through a great number of notable exhibitions, and the enormous knowledge and gift of his communication in a systematized and imaginative form of monographs of exceptional value. After the work “Put do knjige”, where the book is in the main focus, there is a monograph “Otisak & znak”, dedicated to the news media, which is already revealed to audience by the caption, which contains a print, another name for the press. This capital work, accomplished with the support of publishers of elite publications, the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts and the National Museum in Cetinje, includes the reproduction of a large number of domestic and international printers, the oldest of which were created in modest production conditions, and modern, unpredictable computing technology.
The Best Edition – Publisher: Arhipelag Publishing House, Belgrade for “Zlatno runo” (“Golden Fleece”).
The Golden Fleece is the most recognizable edition of the Arhipelag Publishing House, launched eleven years ago. So far, it has presented over 200 books of contemporary prose, primarily novels and stories. It is a strict and representative selection of top-notch works of contemporary Serbian and world literature, which readers perceive as a reliable recommendation. The concept of the Golden Fleece edition consists of, on the one hand, careful selection of the best contemporary writers' book, while, on the other hand, it is a research profile.
The Most Beautiful Book – Publisher: CID, Podgorica for book “Bilježnica” (“The Notebook”), Author: Petar II Petrović Njegoš
In this year's Book Square, in a wide range of visual colours, “The Notebook” of Peter II Petrović Njegoš was singled out in a special way. The book was published in the library "Special Editions", in the framework of the publishing house CID. The artistic solution of the cover is signed by Mile Grozdanić, the technical editor is Darko Manojlović, and the computer processing is done by Davor Palčić.
Children Book of the Year – Publisher: Laguna, Belgrade, for the book “Jas am Akiko” (“I am Akiko”), Author: Stefan Mitić.
Akiko is a poetic novel by Stefan Mitić, who for this occasion changed his last name to Tićmi, in order to make this element rooted, adapting it to the world around the Japanese girl's name. Similar to the baobab tree, which looks, at least for an imaginative look, as if the crown grows to earth, and the roots turn to the sky, the world of small Akiko is filled with headings set with ways of seeing things, paradoxes, word games and realized metaphors.
Herceg Novi also recorded 11% more tourists during the same period compared to the last year, and the number of visitors is estimated at 35.976, of which 35.333 are tourists coming from abroad and 643 coming from Montenegro. Approximately 30.000 of them choose the private accommodation, while the rest decided to go to the hotels.
