Istros Books was set up in 2011 to publish and promote literature in translation from South-East Europe and the Balkans. In its short history, it has proven itself to be at the forefront of discovering exciting new works, from essays on the state of the EU from Slavoj Žižek to six winners of the EU Prize for Literature. The Istros list has a great reputation for showcasing the best of literary output from a region much neglected by publishing in the Anglo-Saxon world.

As an imprint of Peter Owen Publishers, Istros Books fits perfectly into our strong tradition of publishing literature in translation and our focus on cutting-edge fiction and non-fiction. The Istros core list remains focused on the Balkans, but it is envisaged that its geographical reach will widen to include the whole of Eastern Europe. Founding director Susan Curtis-Kojakovic has become Associate Publisher at Peter Owen, while retaining editorial control over the Istros imprint.

‘It is a great chance for Istros to expand and thrive as part of a larger business,’ said Curtis-Kojakovic. ‘There is a great deal of synergy between the two companies, and I believe that cooperation between independent publishers is the way forward.’

Our Managing Director Nick Kent said, ‘Like many others in the book trade I have a great admiration for Istros Books, which, from a standing start and in a difficult trading environment, has grown into a significant name in the field of fiction in translation. Susan’s ability to gain an impressive share of media and public attention for brilliant new works in English will be most welcome at Peter Owen.’

The first collaborative project will be a brand-new series launching in November 2016 and focusing on three books in translation from Slovenia, from authors Evald Flisar, Jela Krečič and Dušan Šarotar. These three novels will form the first season of the World Series fiction collection, which will see three books chosen from a selected country and published each spring and autumn. Titles from Spain have already been chosen for spring 2017, and a Baltic selection will be published in honour of this region being chosen as the Market Focus for the London Book Fair in 2018.

We look forward to a strong partnership with Istros Books, and lots of brilliant new titles!