Anja Kamenarič

Seminar on E-books and Audiobooks, Held in Slovenian

Why Read E-books and Listen to Audiobooks?

Organized by the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK), at University Library Maribor

29. 09. 2026

At the Seminar on E-books and Audiobooks, organized by the Slovenian Book Agency, I will moderate the programme and give the opening lecture, Why Read E-books and Listen to Audiobooks?

The lecture will explore the opportunities that e-books and audiobooks bring to readers and libraries, while also considering some of the questions raised by digital reading. I will discuss the advantages and specific features of digital formats, the circumstances in which they can improve access to books, and how new forms of reading and listening are reshaping reading habits.

The talk will also reflect on what these changes may mean for the evolving role and future of libraries.

Ulica, na kateri živimo

Razprave o delu Andreja Blatnika

Edited by Anja Kamenarič, Jaka Gerčar and Miha Kovač

I am happy to share the publication of Ulica, na kateri živimo: Razprave o delu Andreja Blatnika, a volume prepared on the occasion of the retirement of Andrej Blatnik, our long-time colleague at the Department of Library and Information Science and Book Studies.

Together with Jaka Gerčar and Miha Kovač, I co-edited the volume, which brings together contributions by colleagues, collaborators, and former students. While rooted in Blatnik’s academic and professional work, the book extends into broader questions of publishing, authorship, translation, editorial practices, storytelling, reading, and the social and material role of books.

I also co-authored a chapter with Miha Kovač, Translation Flows in the European Book Market: A Comparative Analysis of Source Language Structures in Translations (2014–2024), examining translation patterns across six European book markets.

The printed edition is now available at the Faculty of Arts Bookshop in Ljubljana, with the open-access digital edition coming soon.

Books in Translation

Trends and Transformations in the European Publishing Market

Written by Miha Kovač, Rüdiger Wischenbart, Yana Genova and Anja Kamenarič

The report was developed within the international ThinkPub project and supported by the Creative Europe programme. It provides a comprehensive analysis of how translated books are produced, distributed, and marketed across European markets, with a focus on smaller linguistic regions and independent publishers. It highlights that in small markets, translations are essential—making up 20–40% of output—while larger markets rely more on domestic works, and that translation flows remain heavily dominated by English, reinforcing cultural imbalances despite emerging trends like the rise of Japanese literature. The report identifies a major shift in the role of translators toward active market agents and emphasizes the growing influence of digital platforms, self-publishing, and subscription services in reshaping the industry. It also finds that AI and machine translation tools, while expanding, currently favor dominant languages and pose challenges for smaller ones. Finally, the report evaluates public funding systems, noting uneven support and strategic gaps across countries, and positions translation as a critical infrastructure for cultural diversity, market sustainability, and access to knowledge in Europe.

Out now! Download here: Books in Translation