Meeting House: Emma House speaks to inspiring bookwomen from around the world.
ALMA ČAUŠEVIĆ KLEMENČIČ, B.Sc. in Cultural Studies and B.Sc. in Cultural Anthropology, is a manager in the field of culture. In 2009 and 2010, she worked as an independent researcher in cultural anthropology. In 2010, she participated in the organization and execution of the World Literatures Fabula festival that was carried out in the framework of the World Book Capital Ljubljana. From 2011 to 2013, she was Executive Producer and Assistant Director responsible for the management and implementation of the Maribor 2012 – European Capital of Culture project. Since 2013, she has been employed at Beletrina Academic Press, one of the most ambitious and innovative Slovenian publishing houses, where she is currently serving in the position of Executive CEO. She is also a Council member of Cankarjev dom, the largest cultural establishment in Slovenia and a member of Managers’ Association of Slovenia, which listed her as one of the top 3 young Slovenian managers of 2021.
How did you enter the publishing industry? Did you always want to work in publishing? How did your studies on cultural anthropology lead you to books?
I never thought I was going to work in publishing. I was always close to the cultural world, going to and organising cultural events since I was a teenager, but then it was by chance I studied anthropology and cultural studies which gave me a good background into what culture is and what it means for society. At that point, I thought I’d stay and work in academia and research but I ended up helping organise the World Literatures Fabula festival, the main festival of the UNESCO World Book Capital Ljubljana 2010 programme. It seemed like an interesting and rewarding job suited to my skills as a born organiser. As I got more involved, I began to really enjoy it, including activities such as applying for funds and getting involved in European projects. I think for me, it is more exciting than academia would have been.
I then gained further experience by working extensively in dance, theatre, and other cultural institutions. However, the real breaking point for my career was when I received an invite to join the Maribor 2012 European Capital of Culture project as the head of production. At the Capital of Culture project, I worked with 2 colleagues who had also founded Beletrina Academic Press 25 years ago as a student initiative. The student movement was very powerful at this time of independence, with funds being given to mobilise young people with various programmes. They invited me to join them to strategically re-position Beletrina in the publishing world.
The different experiences we gained over time and the learnings from the projects and collaborations helped us think about publishing in a new way.
Your early career saw you in a Festival role for books and publishing – what did that experience teach you about the industry?
This experience was essential in giving me perspective on how important it is for people to see, hear and meet the authors. Also, because you need to know and understand the side of an author and how different authors prefer to operate. It allowed me to understand the value of the publishing world as a form of entertainment, as well as giving emotions and allowing us to step into another world.
Your next role was a broader role around the European Capital of Culture – what role did books play in this programme and in your role?
We had a literary programme supporting different producers and publishing houses as well as curating and hosting literary events. We hosted the main interviews and events with famous topical thinkers and supported these events with a book, aiming to capture and give longevity to the event – in the same way video does nowadays.
The programme also supported new publishing imprints and brands giving the European Capital of Culture a legacy. Finally, combining together different fields of culture was interesting and made it successful. It gave different visions of what you can do with books and how to rethink publishing. There are so many choices and ways to play with publishing and it made me realise that we need to be bolder in this industry.
You finally joined a publishing house in 2013, tell us about Beletrina Academic Press. What do you enjoy about the industry?
We mainly publish fiction but we also have books in the field of humanities. We publish predominantly Slovenian authors, both known and unknown, and are also doing a lot of experimenting with our authors. We recently had a manuscript from a man with a criminal past; his writing is fabulous and the subject matter can be influential. Our aim is to spark the imagination of authors and not just what they are used to.
Two years ago, we launched a sub brand – Classical Beletrina – publishing works of world classics with new translations, new imagery, new promotion. It has been around 30 years since Slovenian publishing houses did classics and this has proven to be a good business decision and opportunity. This year we have another new brand, Star Beletrina, focused on 5 new children classics per year over 5 years.
We are very focused on book production and on keeping high standards of quality. It has been difficult to find a supplier to work with that can give us the quality that we demand. Right now, we do our print in Slovenia, but also abroad.
Nearly a decade ago, we launched a first digital platform for Slovenian e-books called Biblos. The platform was set up in collaboration with all Slovenian public libraries and major Slovenian publishing houses for the purpose of setting up an e-lending system, which functions as a national e-lending system used in Slovenian public libraries.
What I enjoy most about publishing is the mash up of 2 worlds; the business world including products, strategies, knowledge in management, marketing, etc., together with the softer side, events, authors ,and culture. I love the challenge and opportunity of connecting with other sectors – knowing that everything starts with a story but there is a codex of environments involved – it has a lot of history that is differently accepted in different minds. There is mash up of classic, new, business and culture all in one industry.
How would you describe the Slovenian publishing industry today? What are the challenges and opportunities?
The industry today is certainly shrinking compared to the times during independence when it had huge importance, but in the new world of the internet, etc., the sector hasn’t really kept up. Lots of publishers closed their doors. However, I am optimistic and know that books play an integral role in people’s lives and the industry has the potential to become bigger. People have gone back to reading all kinds of books.
Being a small industry like Slovenia, we all know each other and what our focuses are. We can see how new publishers and new digital services can be launched. It is calm and stable right now but could be disrupted – it’s an adventure.
You also have another role as a council member of Cankarjev dom – what does this organisation do and how does it fit in with your day job?
This is the biggest cultural institution in Slovenia, including owning the biggest halls in Slovenia for events, protocol activities and bigger cultural activities. This gives me the opportunity to get inside understanding and influencing national policy. Having worked a lot with public institutions through my previous roles, I’ve learnt to value the insight into how the national sector functions and what the role of literature plays in this. This role is very helpful for the strategic direction of the publishing company.
What is the proudest moment of your career?
I am very proud that I managed the challenge of producing Maribor 2012 – European Capital of Culture project successfully.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
I have faced many challenges, but the ones I most remember are connected with people. One of the biggest challenges I faced was learning how to let go “over-controlling” and trust people that they will do their work – and that is and will be enough. By doing that, I have learnt how to enjoy the things I do.
What is the landscape for female leaders in publishing in Slovenia?
I believe it is quite good, or rather, I refuse to think, live, and act differently.
What does the future hold for you?
I do not know the answer. But I truly hope that good, interesting, and innovative people will be by my side.
Emma’s always looking for more Meeting House interviewees. To take part please get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or info@womeninpublishing.org.
