On hand to discuss Turina’s work were Hispanicist Željka Lovrenčić, the head of the Split branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation Branka Bezić-Filipović and Zoran Bošković on behalf of the publishing company.
Božićne i druge priče / Cuentos navidenos y otras naraciones (Christmas and Other Stories) is a bilingual Croatian-Spanish edition of a collection of stories by Chilean writer of Croatian extraction Pepita Turina, presented on Wednesday the 13th of May as part of the Days of Chilean Culture at the Croatian Writers’ Society in Zagreb.
On hand to discuss Turina’s work were Hispanicist Željka Lovrenčić, the head of the Split branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation Branka Bezić-Filipović and Zoran Bošković on behalf of the publishing company.
Lovrenčić noted that Pepita Turina was a Chilean journalist and writer who – as a prominent promoter of culture and a versatile artist – worked with her husband – folklorist and researcher Oresto Platho – in gathering the Chilean intellectual elite of their time.
“Her collection of short stories Christmas Stories and her essay Multi Dialogos were particularly well received,” Lovrenčić said, adding that the essays were written with a refined sense of the aesthetic and analytical talent and have, as such, become a valuable contribution to Chilean literary heritage.
She noted that the work of Pepita Turina is imbued with universal values and tolerance and is written with much love and feeling.
Speaking of the role of women of Croatian extraction in Chilean culture, Ms Bezić-Filipović cited numerous respected artists, journalists and writers – prominent among them is Lana Franolić – after whom the top Chilean prize in journalism is named.
She said that there are come 250 writers of Croatian extraction in Chile. “That is more than in any other country in the world,” she emphasised and added that eighty percent of all Croatian emigrants in Chile hail from the island of Brač.
Christmas and Other Stories was translated from Spanish to Croatia by Jerko Ljubetić, with an afterword penned by Ernesto Livačić Gazzano. The book is published by the Split-based Bošković company.
Chilean writer of Croatian origins Josefa Alvina Pepita Turina (1909 – 1986), known simply as Pepita Turina, drew her roots from the village of Turinovo Selo in northern coastal Croatia. She wrote essays, about literary, stories and novels and joined forces with Zlatko Brnčić in launching an experimental theatre.
(Hina)
