From 18 to 20 September, the island of Lopud, with its rich history and distinctive landscapes, becomes a meeting point for Croatian and international literary voices at the second edition of the Ponta Lopud Book Bridge. With a carefully curated program, the festival offers lectures, workshops, readings, and discussions at the Rector’s Palace and Đorđić Mayneri Park, as well as additional events celebrating the diversity of international authors and literary forms.
The first day of the festival, 18 September, begins with the workshop Creative Writing and Literature at the Rector’s Palace, led by acclaimed authors Dorta Jagić and Staša Aras, encouraging participants to explore their own narratives and creative approaches to writing. The official opening will feature a welcome address from the founders, presentation of upcoming activities, and the announcement of the winner of the short story competition inspired by the theme of the Grand Hotel Lopud. The festival’s initiator James Candon, Professor Billy Gray, and journalist and author Srđan Sandić will then open the discussion Literature in the Context of Conflict, alongside the presentation of Irish author Eoin McNamee’s novel The Resurrection Man, reflecting on the writer’s role in times of social turbulence. The afternoon reading session will feature Dorta Jagić, Srđan Sandić, and Lucy Caldwell, moderated by Staša Aras, while the evening will conclude with the monodrama The Dead House performed by Martin Beanz Ward, a theatrical exploration of loss, tradition, and identity.
The second day begins at the Rector’s Palace with Professor Heather Laird’s lecture on ethical principles and contemporary trends in women’s Irish prose. This will be followed by a presentation of Marko Gregur’s novel Exposure to Darkness, in conversation with writer Danijela Crljen. Readings from Catriona Shine (Habitat), Colin Walsh (Kala), and Martina Devlin (Charlotte) will showcase the variety of contemporary prose. The day will culminate in Đorđić Mayneri Park with Drvo (The Tree), a collection of texts inspired by Zlatan Stipišić Gibonni’s lyrics, read by Gibonni and Staša Aras, intertwining music and the written word.
The final day begins with Mining Memories, a workshop by Cauvery Madhavan at the Rector’s Palace, encouraging participants to explore personal experiences through literature. This will be followed by readings by Wendy Erskine and Dorta Jagić. The panel discussion Responsibilities and the Position of Authors in Political Trends, featuring Shane Tivenan, Seid Serdarević, Danijela Crljen, and Marko Gregur and moderated by Srđan Sandić, will examine the challenges of contemporary writing in a shifting social and political context. The festival will close with the presentation of Jurica Pavičić’s new novel A Mouthful of Sea and a performance by Gormflaith Ní Shíocháin Ní Bheoláin, who will perform traditional Irish songs at Hotel Glavović.
Over the course of three days, the Ponta Lopud Book Bridge fosters interdisciplinary creative exchange and connects Croatian and international authors. All events are free and open to the public. More information is available at pontalopud.hr and on the social media channels of the Ponta Lopud Creative Platform.
The Ponta Lopud Creative Platform hosts three major summer cultural programmes in 2025, welcoming all those passionate about the arts – especially film, music, and literature. The season began with the Ponta Lopud Film Festival, held from 26 to 28 June in celebration of cinematic art. The second event, the beloved Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival, brought music lovers to the island from 28 to 30 August. The season concludes with Ponta Lopud Book Bridge, from 18 to 20 September, transforming Lopud into a literary haven and closing out a summer of unforgettable cultural moments.
