The public handing-in of the literary award “Olivera Nikolova” for 2025 and the promotion of the winning novel “Dzhindzhudzhe” (Giantmidget) by Ermis Lafazanovski will be held on 5^th of November at 19 o’clock at the bookstore “Literatura.mk” in “Diamond” mall, in Skopje, Macedonia.

The ceremony for the first winner of best unpublished novel for children and young, established by the publishing house “Ars Lamina”, will be chaired by the committee comprising of Olivera Kjorveziroska, Vesna Mojsova-Chepishevska and Jagoda Mihajlovska Georgieva.

The novel was published by “Libi”, subsidiary of “Ars Lamina publications”, and is embellished with illustrations by Zdravko Girov.

“Dzhindzhudzhe” is the first book for children and young by the eminent Macedonian writer Ermis Lafazanovski. It is a contemporary tale about pursuit of happiness, in our own time and place. The tale-like and skillful, witty referencing to the folklore traditions is brought through two characters: one giant and one midget, i.e. one huge and one small child, standing before the challenges of modern life, united in the so-called “mall-culture”, as an unavoidable fact of our time.

“Dzhindzhudzhe” is common, artistic name of two best friends, the Giant and the Midget, who function as one being. According to the principle of differences and contrasts (the first is huge and strong, intellectually inferior, the second is tiny and weak, intellectually superior) they are resourceful acrobats performing bicycle numbers around Skopje, notably “City mall”.

The “Olivera Nikolova” award, for best unpublished novel for children and young was established on the 11^th of March 2025, on the birthday of the writer, first time without her physical presence among us. Nikolova died on the 3^rd of November 2024.

At the first competition for the award, established by the “Ars Lamina” publishing house and the family of Nikolova, 38 manuscripts from 37 authors arrived. The novel “Sam vo roj“ (Alone In A Swarm) by Ivan Drichko (pseudonym of Sasho Kokalanov) was in the last shortlist.

The novel “Dzhindzhudzhe” will be available soon in the bigger bookstores and on-line through www.literatura.mk.

The competition under the title “Tell me a story”, has an intent to encourage new creative writing inspired by the power of authors who greatly influenced the childhoods of all of us, from its simplicity, carefree-ness and curiosity. Thus are Kino from Argentina with her Mafalda, Elvira Lindo from Spain with Manolito Gafotas and the Macedonian Olivera Nikolova who marked our childhood with the characters from “Zoki Poki”.

The submissions on the following topics: “The child in me”, “I will tell you a story”, “What can the whole world be bought with?” can be written in the format of a short story or illustrated story - comic, in Macedonian or Spanish language. They should be delivered in the “Casta Diva” office printed, in an envelope, with a code, by 12th of December 2024 at the latest. The best participants will receive valuable prizes. Their names will be announced on the 22nd of December 2024.