Fabula literary evening – Ljubljana: Dora Šustić

The Fabula literary evening is dedicated to talented Croatian writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Dora Šustić, whose debut novel Dogs has enthralled critics and audiences alike. Her work explores the intimate relationships, inner conflicts and longings of the millennial generation, delving into the deepest recesses of the heart and life’s painful experiences.

The young protagonist of Dogs leaves her native Rijeka to study in Prague, hoping to get everything she desires from life. At a party, she meets a charismatic Turkish photographer, falls in love, and surrenders to passion, unaware of how powerful his dark energy is. Dissecting the couple’s relationship, the author explores the boundaries between love, loss, pain and psychological dependence, revealing moments of incertitude and self-destructiveness with brutal honesty. Through a poetic and raw narrative, Šustić addresses the dichotomy between material prosperity and spiritual vacuity, emancipation and vulnerability, illustrating how our lives are shaped by the limits of the body and the mind.

The event will be hosted by Nina Gostiša, excerpts from Dogs will be interpreted by actress Mojca Funkl.

The talk will be held in Croatian, with simultaneous translation into Slovenian.

Dora Šustić has established herself as one of the most promising voices in Croatian literature. Her debut novel Dogs, awarded the Drago Gervais Prize for Best
Manuscript, has been nominated for several prestigious literary awards.