Izdavačka kuća Geopoetika, uz pomoć Ministarstva kulture Republike Srbije, pokrenula je ediciju Serbian Prose in Translation/ Srpska proza u prevodu.
Ovaj projekat podrazumeva kontinuirano, sistematsko i organizovano objavljivanje dela savremenih srpskih pisaca na strane jezike, za početak na engleski, i na taj način predstavlja širenje srpske kulture u svetu. Knjige iz ove edicije prodavaće se isključivo na srpskom tržištu. Međutim, mnogo veći značaj leži u tome što će se one naći u slavističkim centrima, bibliotekama i univerzitetima širom sveta, i na stranom jeziku predstavljati sve što je relevantno u srpskoj knjiiževnosti na najznačajnijim svetskim sajmovima knjiga. Izuzetna dela savremene srpske književnosti, potpuno nepravedno nedovoljno zastupljena u svetu, uz najviši mogući kvalitet prevoda, postaće konačno dostupna i izvan naših granica.
When The Cyclist Conspiracy appeared two decades ago, it was considered a kind of cultural excess, a provocation that stirred the literary audience of the time. It is likely that it still does. Masterfully intertwining the threads of waking and dreams into the fabric of present, past and future, Basara's novel leads the reader into depths of reflection never imagined possible. Rising from the musty cellar of a local library in the backwaters of western Serbia, the author guides us through a fantastic maze of (fictitious or factual?) documentation to one of the greatest held secrets of all times: an ancient Brotherhood, meeting and planning in the realm beyond sleep, are guiding the destiny of humankind into the arms of Providence - from the future. Drawing the reader into a broad circle of eccentric characters, historical and literary figures (from Charles the Hideous to Nietzsche, Sherlock Holmes and Freud), Basara calls into question the unities of space and time, proving once and for all a truth that we all know in our heart of hearts: History is in the eye of the beholder.
'Some books grow old with years, some are rejuvenated, some remain the same. But extremely rare are those that manage to force reality to change and adapt to what is written in them. Some twenty years ago The Cyclist Conspiracy seemed like postmodern brick-a-brack. Today, it is a historical record that becomes more and more true with every new day. '
David Albahari
One of the most prolific Serbian authors, Svetislav Basara (Bajina Bašta, 1953) is considered to be the key figure of contemporary Serbian literature. His literary career started in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1980s with a collection of short stories, Priče u nestajanju (Vanishing Tales, 1982). For his novel Fama o biciklistima (The Cyclist Conspiracy, 1988) he received the prestigeous Željezara Sisak award.
His work, comprised of five collections of short stories, thirteen novels, a dozen books of essays, plays and novellas, has always met a keen critical reception. In 2006 he received the most acclaimed Serbian literary award, NIN Award, for his novel The Rise and Fall of Parkinson's Disease.
Some of his titles include: The Chinese Letters, 1985 (novel), Peking by Night, 1985 (short stories), Trough the Looking Glass Cracked, 1986 (novella), On the Edge, 1987 (essays), The Cyclist Conspiracy, 1988 (novel), Phenomena, 1989 (short stories), In Search of the Grail, 1990 (novel), The Mongolian Travel Guide, 1992 (novel), Dark Side of the Moon, 1992 (essays), De Bello Civili, 1993 (novella), Selected Stories, 1994 (short stories), Vexland, 1995 (novel), The Tree of Life, 1995 (essays), The Virtual Cabala, 1996 (essays), Looney Tunes, 1997 (novel), Civil War Within, 1998 (English translation of De Bello Civili), Holy Lard, 1998 (novel), The Wolf's Lair, 1998 (essays), Midwinter, 2000 (novel), John B. Malkovitch, 2001 (novel), Boomerang, 2001 (play/comedy), The Chinese Letters, 2004 (translation in English), The Heart of the Earth, 2004 (novel), Lost in the Supermarket, 2008 (anthology of short stories), The Diary of Marta Koen, 2008 (novel), New Stradia, 2009 (novel). Basara served as the Serbian Ambassador to Cyprus from 2001 to 2005.
