It’s coming to our universe

Hot Fantasy News

17.6.2026 - Eurocon Before Eurocon – Eurocon Visits Celje

The Celje Literary Society will once again take an active role at Europe’s largest gathering of science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts, held under the auspices of the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS). This year, the convention will take place in Berlin as part of MetropolCon 2026.

As in previous years, we will be present with our own stand, where we will promote Supernova, Slovenia’s leading speculative fiction magazine, and present this year’s edition of FANFEST, Slovenia’s festival of fantasy literature.

We will also participate in a panel discussion dedicated to European speculative fiction magazines, sharing experiences and perspectives on publishing, international cooperation, and the promotion of local literary scenes within the wider European community.

The Celje Literary Society has once again prepared the Slovenian nominations for the ESFS Awards, recognising outstanding achievements in European science fiction and fantasy.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn more about the current submission calls for both Supernova and FANFEST, as well as the many opportunities these projects offer to authors, artists, and enthusiasts interested in becoming part of the growing network of European speculative fiction.

We look forward to meeting old friends, making new connections, and once again presenting Slovenian fantasy and science fiction to the wider European audience.

Slovenian Comic-con: Na meji nevidnega (23 - 24.5. 2026 - Ljubljana)

Bojan’s Cover Story

The Slovenian Comic-Con was exactly that – a Comic-Con. Hall B (the exhibition hall, not the vitamin complex) at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre was bursting at the seams with exhibitors, vendors, and visitors of every shape and colour. Altogether, around 150 different associations, artists, shops, and craftspeople from five countries gathered there. Lectures, presentations, and panel discussions covered virtually every aspect of speculative fiction and fantasy. Among the booths wandered almost every popular character imaginable, in costumes ranging from simple to astonishingly elaborate. Some wore store-bought outfits, while others proudly showcased their own craftsmanship – all driven by their love for their favourite heroes and heroines.

Celje’s Literary Society also brought its share of fantastical delights to the convention. Without us, the festival of joy would have been considerably poorer. The team consisting of Andrej Ivanuša, Dominik Lenarčič, and Bojan Ekselenski offered books, magazines, and presented the one and only Fanfest.

During our presentation, Dominik and Bojan introduced Slovenia’s participation in Eurocon 2026 and presented the Slovenian nominations for the ESFS Awards.

Do You Remember the Aliens?
Bojan Ekselenski is one of the few steadfast musketeers of speculative fiction who has attended NMN since its very first edition, held at the Bolero Dance School.

Dominik’s Intermezzo

Dominik beamed directly from work to NMN on Saturday. He began his visit at the presentation of the debut novel by writer, psychotherapist, and winner of the NMN Literary Challenge, Nika Nikolič. The novel, titled Stuck in the Circuitry (Zataknjeni v vezju), is, as far as he gathered, a socially engaged novel in which androids and their problems take the place usually occupied by humans and theirs.

There, by pure coincidence, he ran into Anna Kovalyova from Sferakon. Since Anna was only staying in Slovenia until that Saturday, he hurried to introduce her to as many representatives and prominent figures of Slovenian science fiction and fantasy literature as possible.

Later that day, together with Bojan, he attended Jakob Konda’s lecture celebrating the publication of the final volume of his trilogy The Secret of the Core (Skrivnost srži). Intended both for readers already familiar with the series and for newcomers, the lecture concluded with a surprisingly diverse reading list. Every recommendation belonged to the speculative fiction genre, and every title was written by a Slovenian author.

On Sunday, Dominik was, of course, present at the presentation of Supernova and the Slovenian ESFS Award nominations, where he made sure Bojan did not drift too often into the waves of digression. He also attended a moderated conversation between Julija Lukovnjak and one of the convention’s guests of honour, British fantasy author Samantha Shannon.

The discussion offered insight into the authors’ views on inspiration, worldbuilding, character naming, fantasy geography, and more. Shannon shared a particularly valuable piece of writing advice with which Bojan would undoubtedly agree: as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, one does not need to be an expert in every field, nor is it necessary to explain or scientifically justify everything.

How long would it realistically take a rider on horseback to cross a fantasy kingdom in a novel? Shannon’s answer was simple: if the story does not require that information, do you really need to know it?

During the discussion, Lukovnjak remarked that the charm of Slovenian fantasy – itself a newcomer on the international book market – lies in the fact that, as a still-developing genre, it is allowed to do anything. There is no idea or approach too unorthodox for Slovenian speculative fiction.

Shannon also touched on the challenges of translating fantasy into English, from conveying meaning across languages to recreating the same emotional effect on readers that the original text had, illustrating her points with examples from translations of her own works.

Dominik also attended the presentation of the space romance When the Earth Slips Beyond the Horizon (Ko zemlja zdrsne za obzorje), the debut novel of the well-known translator Igor Harb. Published by Goga, the novel is the first instalment of a planned trilogy and presents a futuristic vision of Planica as the site of a space centre where future astronauts from all over the world train.

The charming presentation, introduced with a segment reminiscent of a military recruitment advertisement, sparked Dominik’s interest – among many others – in this fresh new science-fiction saga.

Foto: Archive

20. 5. 2026: 10 Years of Supernova, or a Cornucopia Full of Fantastic Delights

Supernova concluded its first decade with Issue 20. During this time, 20 regular issues and one English edition for the promotion of Slovenian speculative fiction across Europe were published.

On behalf of the Municipality of Celje, the event was welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Celje, Mr. Simon Jevšinek.

The presentation was hosted by Matej Krajnc, who also greeted the audience on behalf of the president of the Slovenian Writers’ Association, Mr. Mario Čuk.

The musical accompaniment was provided by students of the Celje Music School, Mija Močnik and Sara Pilar Žgank, under the mentorship of Maša Mareš Ritlop.

In the continuation of the event, Bojan Ekselenski, editor of Supernova, presented the significance of the magazine within the Slovenian and broader international environment. He also touched upon this year’s Eurocon, where Slovenia will play an even more visible role through Slovenian nominations for European awards in the field of science fiction and fantasy. He also mentioned the important role of his assistant, Dominik Lenarčič, in the creation of the magazine. He emphasized the importance of the bilingual magazine together with the bilingual websites of Fanfest and Supernova, as they represent important building blocks in promoting Slovenian speculative fiction throughout the wider European space.

In addition to the usual content such as essays, prose, poetry, reviews, news, and event reports, the spring issue also brought the famous “time bus” — a retrospective journey through 10 years of Supernova, from its beginnings as a modest 40-page publication to an established magazine that is now more recognizable abroad than within Slovenia itself. Matej asked about the beginnings of the magazine, and Bojan recounted the story of its humble origins, gradual growth, and continuous development, with each issue adding something new. This is how comics also found their place within the magazine…

Today, Supernova is dedicated both to the development of Slovenian speculative fiction and to its promotion within the European sphere, while at the same time promoting European speculative fiction in Slovenia. The magazine publishes established authors from many European countries through literary exchanges created at festivals and conventions.

Foto: Andrej Ivanuša

A Fantastic Day of Victory at Sferakon in Zagreb (9. 5. 2026)

The Celje Literary Society is a regular guest at the largest regional festival dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. Sferakon is undoubtedly the oldest convention of its kind in the region, and comparing it to our own Na meji nevidnega (NMN) would be somewhat unfair, as the two events differ greatly in scale and history.

This year, the organiser, the Sfera Society, celebrated its 50th anniversary, while Sferakon itself will mark its 50th edition in two years' time, when it will also host Eurocon.

The Celje Literary Society team followed its familiar line-up: Andrej Ivanuša, Dominik Lenarčič, and Bojan Ekselenski.

We attended on Saturday, when Dominik and Bojan presented Slovenian speculative fiction, with a particular focus on the activities of the Celje Literary Society and its projects. Our presentation was part of the programme dedicated to international guests.

A colourful audience of local and international visitors attended the talk, showing considerable interest in Slovenian fandom, publishing activities, and literary events.

As in previous years, the society’s stand also hosted our friends from Serbia, further strengthening the long-standing ties and cooperation among regional speculative fiction communities.

Foto: Archive CLD

Andrej Ivanuša:

Greek Gods and Istrakon 2026 (17. - 19. 4. 2026 - Pazin Cro)

What do the Greek gods and Istria, the large peninsula in the northern Adriatic, have in common? Depending on your perspective, very little, nothing at all, or quite a lot. In any case, it was worth investigating.

Dominik Lenarčič and Andrej Ivanuša attended this year's science fiction and fantasy festival in Pazin, held from 17 to 19 April 2026. The festival is organised by the Albus Association of Pazin, a society dedicated to science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and alternative sciences. Throughout the year, its members regularly gather to play various fantasy tabletop games, including Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Magic: The Gathering, and others.

Istrakon is a science fiction and fantasy convention that has been taking place in Pazin, a town of around 6,000 inhabitants in the heart of the Istrian peninsula, since the year 2000. Each year the organisers choose a different theme. This year's edition was dedicated to the mythology of the Greek gods.

Participants could attend educational programmes and lectures covering literature, science, fandom culture, film, and many other fascinating topics. The organisers were joined by the associations Mordele and Zaigrana Koza, which provided gaming areas, book sales, fantasy merchandise, and other attractions. Saturday concluded with a large concert where visitors could, quite literally, dance their way into the world of fantasy.

We were among the invited guests from across the former Yugoslavia. Participants arrived from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. More than 500 local attendees from Istria also took part. The programme catered to all age groups, from children aged seven and above.

All events took place at the Spomen Dom Pazin cultural centre. The venue offers six halls, meeting rooms, and lecture spaces, while an additional four outdoor locations—including a park, a plaza, and the famous staircase area—were also used. Altogether, the organisers prepared around sixty different events, with the busiest schedule taking place on Friday afternoon and throughout Saturday.

Our journey to Pazin began early in the morning. At first, it seemed likely to be an ordinary trip. However, two unusual encounters made it feel as though we were travelling through time as much as through space. Near Sežana, we caught up with and overtook an airship. Later, upon arriving in Pazin, we were greeted by a horse-drawn carriage pulled by a pair of horses.

We reached Pazin around noon on Friday and checked into Hotel Lovac, located above a spectacular 150-metre-deep chasm where the Pazinčica River emerges from the karst underground.

That afternoon we attended Korado Korlević’s lecture Mythical Creatures of Istria and Mirko Karas’s presentation Mirror, Mirror, My Orbital Mirror. In the evening, the organisers hosted a joint dinner for guests and participants from across the former Yugoslavia.

The following day, we explored various events together. Among them were Zvonko Liović’s lecture Hybrid Creatures of Classical Mythology and Vanja Krajnčević’s presentation 50 Years of SFERA. During the latter, the organisers introduced the next edition of Sferakon, scheduled for May 2026 in Zagreb. Members of the Celje Literary Society will certainly be there as well.

One of the most important moments for us was participating in a workshop dedicated to this year's anthology of stories inspired by Greek gods and the town of Pazin. The collection includes a story by Bojan Ekselenski.

On Sunday morning, we met our friends from across the former Yugoslavia for coffee. Jules Verne joined us as well—or at least his spirit did. Verne holds a special place in Pazin's history, as the famous chasm and the Pazinčica River appear in one of his novels. He corresponded with the mayor of Pazin at the time, seeking details about this remarkable geological phenomenon, and later incorporated the description into his work.

While enjoying our coffee, we discussed future projects and collaborations before finally parting ways and heading home.

There is no doubt that Istrakon is one of the most important fantasy and science fiction events in the region. It brings together a large community of enthusiasts and annually publishes a themed anthology of stories, with a new topic selected every year.

Just as importantly, it serves as a meeting point for creators, organisers, and fans from across the former Yugoslavia, allowing us to exchange ideas and plan future activities. This year, we invited many of the participants to attend FANFEST CELJE 2026, which will take place this autumn.

May the Greek gods be with us—in happiness, health, and good spirits.

Foto: Andrej Ivanuša & Dominik Lenarčič

Celje Literary Society Dips Its Fingers into the Comic Jam (17. - 19. 4. 2026 - Celje Slo)

The Celje Literary Society has also dipped its fingers into the jam of comics – or, if you prefer, graphic novels. For several years now, Celje has hosted the Celje Comic Fest, better known as CCM, held at the Celje Youth Centre (MCC).

The programme was exceptionally diverse, and the exhibition area featured a wide range of vendors offering comics, graphic novels, collectibles, artwork, and related merchandise.

Nostalgia proved to be a particularly popular flavour, as a significant portion of the comic-book audience has already acquired a respectable amount of grey hair. Naturally, younger generations were well represented too, with plenty of comics and accompanying products aimed at both younger and older children. Even those long past their school days could not help but smile at the sight of vintage issues of Politikin Zabavnik (remember those, comrades?), Mickey Mouse, and a colourful array of similar comic publications.

One curious topic that came up was the fact that Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry are reportedly no longer being published in some markets because they are considered too violent. Meanwhile, what other media serve us these days is apparently nothing but pure tenderness and affection...

The famous American franchises never gained quite the same foothold in our region, largely because they arrived relatively late. Instead, generations of readers grew up with Alan Ford, Stripoteka, Zagor, Commander Mark, and many others. In short, even during the Yugoslav era, we certainly did not suffer from a lack of comics. On the contrary, we were abundantly fed with high-quality sequential art.

Contemporary comics are, of course, extremely diverse. Slovenian creators presented a number of their works, while scholars and critics are increasingly paying attention to the medium as well – an encouraging sign for the continued development of comic art.

Yes, comics are art. One could even call them illustrated literature. Certainly, not all comics are pulp, just as not all literature is pulp.

A large part of the comics world is closely connected to fantasy and speculative fiction, although many works also embrace educational themes. Visitors, for example, had the opportunity to explore a comic dedicated to the Slovenian poet Srečko Kosovel.

We also have comics inspired by Slovenian history and literature, such as Peter Klepec and Veronika of Desenice, alongside many other works drawing from the rich heritage of Slovenian culture.

As a representative of the Celje Literary Society, Bojan Ekselenski prepared a promotional stand featuring Supernova magazine and Fanfest materials.

He also participated in both the Friday and Saturday programme:

Friday: Panel discussion From a National Comics Day to a National Reading Day, together with Žiga Valetič and other guests.

Saturday: Presentation by Bojan Ekselenski on Slovenian fantasy literature.

During the panel discussion, participants concluded that the continuing decline of reading skills, literacy, and general knowledge among Slovenian youth is closely linked to an educational system that remains, in many respects, a fossil from the nineteenth century. The prescribed reading lists are often monotonous and frequently too demanding for the age groups they target.

Bojan Ekselenski’s position could be summarised as follows:

“The school system has done everything possible to make children hate reading, especially books by Slovenian authors.”

The number of committed readers – those who read ten or more books per year – continues to decline. Educational and cultural institutions therefore face an unenviable challenge: pulling both the educational system and reading culture out of the mud into which they have been steadily sinking in recent years.

In his Saturday presentation, Bojan introduced the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS), Eurocon, and the Slovenian nominations for the European Awards in Science Fiction and Fantasy.

He also spoke about some of the peculiarities of the Slovenian speculative fiction scene before handing the floor to festival guest Tomislav Takac, who discussed international cooperation and creative exchange.

The Celje Literary Society plans to become even more actively involved in the comics scene through publications in Supernova. The upcoming spring issue will already feature a comic by the well-known Serbian author Tomislav Takac from Subotica.

Finally, the festival would not have been complete without cosplay. Particularly entertaining was a Wild West-themed cosplay group featuring cowboys and Native Americans. Yes, there was even an authentic-looking Native American camp complete with “real” Native Americans.

The entire event was organised by the comic-book shop Oblaček, whose driving force is Boštjan Večko.

Foto: Archive

Fanfest 9: A Celebration of Contemporary Fantasy and the Art of Imagination

The 2025 edition of Fanfest brought together writers, readers, and fans of speculative fiction in a vibrant celebration of imagination, creativity, and cross-cultural exchange. The festival unfolded between the 16th and 19th of October 2025 across several venues in Celje, with events ranging from panels and readings to workshops and presentations of new works. This year’s guiding themes were Contemporary fantasy and Green Celje, exploring both literary and ecological dimensions of modern storytelling.

More about extraordinary iteration of Fanfest 2025

25. 6. - 29. 6. 2025: Slovenian team CLD on a mission Eurocon in Finland

Celje’s Literary Society (CLD) has been presenting its fantasy projects beyond Slovenia’s borders for several years. This year, we decided to participate in Eurocon, the annual European science fiction festival organized under the umbrella of the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS). This year's event took place in Mariehamn, located in the distant Åland Islands of Finland. The Åland Islands are an autonomous region between Finland and Sweden with a turbulent history and many fascinating features.

This year’s Eurocon was part of the local convention Archipelacon 2, providing the broader European audience with an experience of a regional festival. Eurocon is held in a different country each year — last year it took place in the Netherlands, this year in Finland, and in the coming years, it will be hosted in Germany (Berlin 2026), Portugal (Lisbon 2027), and likely Croatia (Zagreb 2028).

Slovenia was represented in Europe by Dominik Lenarčič and Bojan Ekselenski from CLD.

Each Eurocon, in addition to lectures, promotions, and meetings, also includes two plenary sessions of the ESFS. Each country is represented by two delegates, and usual topics include discussions and voting on European awards for achievements in various categories, the selection of the Eurocon location two years ahead (based on the presentations of candidate countries), potential changes to the federation’s statute, and — as was the case this year — elections for the new ESFS Board. All functions are honorary and, like everything within ESFS, based on volunteerism.

The CLD team did not come for tourism, of course, but to promote Slovenian creativity and work in the field of fantasy literature.

Thanks to CLD, Slovenia had its own promotional booth and a presentation of the society, the Supernova magazine, and the Fanfest festival. We were also mentioned in the Archipelacon 2 festival brochure. Because of our booth, we received a brief spotlight presentation, and to increase visibility, we displayed a promotional banner.

Eurocon and similar conventions are mostly attended by people in their middle years, with the average age being around 45 to 50, although participants of all ages are present. The main focus is on speculative fiction in its broadest sense and on the presentation of fandoms (fan communities) from different countries. Lectures and presentations were held in the main Alandica Congress and Cultural Center and two conference halls in the Hotel Arkipelag. The main guests (Guests of Honor – GoH) are mostly writers.

This year's main guest was the world-renowned American author Jeff VanderMeer, whose works have also been translated into Slovenian. In addition to him, the Guests of Honour (GoH) included his wife, the acclaimed editor Ann VanderMeer, and Finnish writer Emmi Itäranta. The fourth GoH, Swedish author Mats Strandberg, had to cancel his appearance due to family matters.

Besides participating in the program, the GoHs strolled among the stalls, and I also took the opportunity to snap a selfie—after all, you don't meet a world-famous author every day.

What about everyone else? More than 900 people registered for the convention. They came from nearly all European countries, as well as from the USA, China, Canada, and Australia. In short, it was an incredibly diverse crowd, united by a love for speculative fiction in the broadest sense of the word.

Our booth attracted quite a bit of attention. After a 13-year absence from Eurocon (I was also part of the team in Zagreb in 2012), we returned to represent the smallest country present with a booth. Dominik and I ensured a professional presentation, with all promotional materials prepared in English. The booth also featured the English-translated book by Bojan Ekselenski: Underspace – The First Bojan Dawn There.

On Saturday, June 28 at 2 PM, we gave a presentation about CLD, Supernova, Fanfest, and CLD's open calls in the large conference hall of the Arkipelag Hotel. Vsesledje also had its most northerly presentation to date. The session attracted people from ten different countries, and we received many questions at the end. It’s important that people outside Slovenia are hearing about our authors—I hope this leads to publications in international magazines. Let foreigners read our authors, so it's not always the other way around.

The English edition of Supernova sold out quickly and, thanks to its professional preparation, received a lot of attention and travelled to many countries. This year’s edition was somewhat constrained by air travel limitations. We received a lot of requests for the PDF version and offers for collaboration. All of us involved in Supernova did an excellent job promoting Slovenian authors to a wider European audience, while also building the role of CLD—the only Slovenian organization dabbling in speculative fiction with a serious international presence. The Germans expressed interest in having a German-language version of Supernova next year to further promote Slovenian speculative fiction. Contributions for Eurocon Special 2, scheduled for release in 2026, are already being collected and content is being prepared.

Due to its active engagement on the European scene, CLD also has part of its website in English. On the ESFS list of European websites, Slovenia is represented by our site (http://Fanfest.si), to which we will soon add the brand-new Supernova website (supernova-magazin.eu). Key content is published bilingually, which has significantly increased website traffic and CLD’s visibility across Europe.

We returned to Slovenia with a pile of recommendations and ideas for further work. Given the considerable interest, we must consider introducing at least part of the Fanfest program in English or providing simultaneous translation. A new challenge...


	European Grandmaster award winner is Joell Wintrebert (FRA)

With Dominik, I’ve brought CLD—and thus Celje—onto the broader European map. Our eyes are now on next year’s Eurocon – MetropolCon in Berlin. But before that, our Fanfest...

More about Eurocon 2025 ...

Here are some photo moments

Photo: Bojan Ekselenski and Dominik lenarčič

19. 6. 2025: Magazine Supernova have web page

Supernova magazine has its own web domain: supernova-magazin.eu.

On the website you can find:

Everything about the current issue (English and Slovenian editions)
A short story or poem - nothing beats a fantasy sweetening
Access to the magazine archive
A few more goodies are in the works.

Magazine Supernova Issue Eurocon Special 1 - PDF and print version

Supernova Eurocon Special 1 is here! It's free for all mankind!

Editorial

Bojan Ekselenski (prevod v ANG: Dominik Lenarčič)

A Fantastical Urbi et Orbi

Slovene Prose

Andrej Ivanuša Coffee - 1 Euro
Aljoša Toplak How A Miracle Happens
Barbara Ribič Jelen Dream Job
Bojan Ekselenski The Truth Virus Or Archie Appers
The Reflection in Seven Lakes
Domen Mohorič Red Dawn
Dominik Lenarčič Acid Raindrops
Devil Himself
Ivan Šokić Threat From Wthin
Majda Arhnauer Subašič Anger Of The Godness Ekvorna
Matjaž Marinček Base Station
Miha Mazzini Day Of The Living Death
Eternity
Primož Jenko Universal Remover

Guest Prose

Deborah Walker Pure and Without Savour
Eric Johansson My Kindom Underneath
Frank Roger One More Kiss
Gareth D. Jones Auroch, Cave Bears And Other Charismatic Megafauna
Krzysztof T. Dąbrowski The Meeting
A Prayer for the Meaning of Life
The Clever Way Of Reducing the High Price
Tihomir Jovanović Friday Night Fever
Zoran Živković First Photograph

Poetry

Lawrence Schimel The Hound of Ulster
Excalibur
Matej Krajnc The Count Of 7-11
Nada Tržan-Herman Angels, Death And A Dog

Call

Call For Fanfest
Standing Call For Supernova
Standing Call For Vsesledje

About Celje's Literary Society

We’ve been doing some fantastic things recently…

24. - 25. may 2025: Celje’s Literary Society (CLD) at the colourful festival Na meji nevidnega

The offerings of the Slovene incarnation of Comic-Con

Na meji nevidnega (literally ‘On the border of the invisible’) is the Slovenian version of Comic-Con which comes from, you guessed it, the US of A. Everything began long ago, in 1972 to be precise, in San Diego (California, where else?), where the original event has been lightening and darkening for 50+ years. Since then, the festival model has been evolving, gaining derivations and spreading around the world. Thus, in the “distant” year of 2013, it found refuge in Slovenia as well and found shape as the one-day festival Na meji nevidnega (NMN).

The Slovene edition began in the rooms of the Bolero dance school and quickly outgrew them – its home has been the ‘Gospodarsko razstavišče’ for some years now. Given its size, it belongs there.

Since this year, it’s a two-day event, not far behind in scope after the Zagreb Sferakon. Here are some numbers:

Around 5.000 visitors,
17 associations more or less tied to fantasy,
64 shops, catering to fantasy lovers in different ways,
8 food and drinks vendors,
37 contributors in Artists’ Alley.

NMN can be found online, where you can learn more from first-hand and second-hand accounts: https://nmn.si/

Of course, both festivals (NMN and Comic-Con) can’t be directly compared, since they are two distinct types of events, although they both feed the hungry fantasy souls.

So, what is NMN? You can find the answer the easiest way, on, yes, you guessed, the website of the original event (https://www.comic-con.org/), where it says:

“Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.”

NMN has everything from the above definition. The festival sees an excellent number of visitors, they ran out of tickets even before the official opening at 9 AM.

The happenings in the two floors of Gospodarsko razstavišče

This year’s NMN was a two-day event: 24th and 25th of May. the 25th was especially grand, as the entire fantasy loving world is celebrating. No, not Tito’s birthday, the famous Towel Day.

Programme-wise, it included the following:

Veliki oder (Grand Stand)
Predavalnica (Lecture Hall)
Geeki okrogle mize (Geek Round Tables) – various debates and boutique presentations that don’t see many visitors. Here, CLD’s Sunday programme took place.
Alkimistov laboratorij (Alchemist’s Laboratory) – a sort of laboratory for playing unreleased board games
Arena malih superjunakov (Little Superheroes’ Corner) – for children
Lov za zakladom (Treasure Hunt) – you know, what you can expect...
Gaming terminal – no need to explain
Park enigma – various competitions, themed around fantasy
Društvo ljubiteljev sestavljank (Puzzle Enthusiasts Society) – building/doing this or that

Most of these were active almost the entire time. The programme was of course following what is expected from an incarnation of Comic-Con. Saturday, there was also a party (extra entry ticket), that was in the spirit of the festival.

CLD’s active harvest on the NMN fantasy field

The Celje’s Literary Society team was an active participant in the festival, it had a stand in the cellar level, beside a variety of different associations, more or less tied to fantasy. Our stand was next to the KUD Polica Dubova publishing house, which had its own book offerings.

We emphasised the promotion of Supernova, which is still the only journal for ‘serious’ fantasy (if we said ‘adult’ you might think of something raunchy) and Fanfest, which is still, yes, you guessed it again, the only fantasy literature festival in Slovenia. We also exhibited our literary jewels and, most importantly, the official sponsor of our stand was Bojan’s stuffed gremlin slave Gizmo, who diverted his magical power to the Celje v vesolju (Celje in Space) anthology and the fresh Supernova.

This year, for the first time, we had promotional leaflets in English, as part of preparations for Eurocon.

Dominik Lenarčič prepared a presentation of fantasy sweets, done in collaboration with Bojan Ekselenski.

The programme presentation:

Supernova,
Fanfest,
Preparations for Eurocon in Finland,
Besan 5 and 6.
They invited those gathered to write and send contributions.

Taking part in NMN is important, as it shows the activities of CLD in terms of fantasy and because it offers a live connection to the enormous enthusiast community.

Guests of the festival

Guests of honour were Brian Muir (sculptor, who, among other things, designed Darth Vader’s helmet) and four cosplayers – ND Cosplay (Croatia), Bendershield Cosplay (Serbia – he lives in Croatia with his wife, the aforementioned ND Cosplay. We know that cosplayers are one big family.), Lovro the Supernaut (Croatia) and Arii Cosplay (Slovenia).

Passenger list from the other side of the country

NMN expedition: Andrej, Dominik in Bojan.

The final conclusion – NMN was an excellently organised festival with everything that belongs there and is in no way falling behind similar festivals with more tradition.

A special thanks to the teddy bear at the reception table.

Photo by: Bojan Ekselenski, Dominik Lenarčič, Tatjana Jamnik

21st of May 2025 (The Celje House of Culture): Supernova – a Slovene and an English Edition

The presentation of the 18th issue of Supernova was held on the 21st of May in the Celje House of Culture, the home of Celje’s Literary Society.

This spring’s presentation is special in the sense that it was also a presentation of the English edition of the magazine. This year, members of Celje’s Literary Society will be going to Finland to Eurocon, the all-European science fiction and fantasy festival, organized by the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS), with the organizer of the local festival. The language of communication is English and for the promotion of Slovene fantasy literature and Fanfest, we have prepared an English edition. Close to 1.000 people from all around Europe will gather in Mariehamn and they will get the chance to read the works of Slovene authors. A number of foreign authors, who fairly regularly publish in Supernova and have answered the call, are also included in the issue. Among the local and foreign authors, some are established names.

With English translations, the following authors have responded: Andrej Ivanuša, Aljoša Toplak, Barbara Ribič Jelen, Bojan Ekselenski, Domen Mohorič, Dominik Lenarčič, Ivan Šokić, Majda Arhnauer Subašič, Matjaž Marinček, Miha Mazzini and Primož Jenko.

The Slovene spring issue is rich in content, since it includes essays, local and translated prose, reports, interviews and information on new books. It also includes literary calls for the Society’s journal Vsesledje, as well as Supernova and Fanfest.

The magazine has acquired two new authors: Eric Johansson from Croatia and George Dimitriu from Romania.

The presentation was led by editor Bojan Ekselenski. Andrej Ivanuša read the story Hazelnut Chocolate (George Dimitriu) and poems by Marko Vujović from Montenegro.

Bojan Ekselenski also read the Supernova Epigram by Matej Krajnc.

The Slovene participation in the aforementioned Eurocon, which will be taking place between the 26th and the 29th of June, was also mentioned. The Society will have a stand with Supernovas and promotional leaflets (all in English). The Eurocon programme will present Celje’s Literary Society, the Fanfest festival, the Supernova magazine and of course also the Vsesledje magazine.

The fantasy sweet feasting was excellently supplemented by the Music School Celje. Participating were Maks Zimšek, accordion (mentor: Dejan Kušer) and Patrik Klinc, clarinet with accompaniment by Kim Pavlič (mentor: Nataša Aškerc).

Link to the Slovene edition ...

Photo by: Bojan Ekselenski, Klementina Sambolič, Andrej Ivanuša and Andrej Krajnc

10th May 2025 (Zagreb, Croatia): The Celje Literary Society was a guest at the 2025 Sferakon.

The standard team members Andrej Ivanuša, Bojan Ekselenski and Dominik Lenarčič have taken part in the largest regional convention, which has existed for a full 47 years. The Society had a stand with promo materials (books, Supernova magazine, fliers).

Sferakon on the Web (ENG version)

4th – 6th April 2025 (Pazin, Croatia): The Celje Literary Society was a guest at the 2025 Istrakon.

The team, consisting of Andrej Ivanuša, Bojan Ekselenski and Dominik Lenarčič took part in the writers’ segment of Istrakon. They took part in the following:

SciFi&F in the ExYU space,
The reveal of the Istrakon story collection »Istrakonski vremeplov«,
A presentation on Fanfest, Supernova and other Celje Literary Society goodies.

More about the Slovene participation (in Slovene).

Istrakon on the web.

16th November 2024 (Pazin, Croatia): The Celje's Literary Society was a guest at the 2024 festival of fantasy literature in Pazin.

The festival took place on the 16th and was dedicated to the driving force of the festival, the tragically deceased Davor Šišović – Šiška. A short story collection titled “Priče o Davorju Šišoviću” was published. More than 50 stories were sent, of which 18 were chosen, among them A Souvenir from Pazin (Spominek iz Pazina; Suvenir iz Pazina) by Bojan Ekselenski.

The presentation of the story collection Priče o Davorju Šišoviću was incredibly emotional, since it was a kind of literary farewell to an amazing man who contributed a lot to the development of fantasy literature. Even the Fanfest in Celje is inspired by the Pazin festival, which was established over 20 years ago by Davor.

Fanfest 8 has concluded.

18th – 20th October 2024 (Celje, Slovenia): Fanfest 8, the Slovene festival of fantasy literature.

Programme chart

Friday, 18th October
Gathering of foreign guests and a social introduction to the festival

Saturday, 19th October

Antika Bookstore (16H)
- Supernova 16 and 17
- Proza za vse generacije (Bojan Ekselenski)
- Slovene fantasy goodies
- Animus (Jan Bilodjerič)
- Ilonka (Domen Mezeg)
- Skrivnost srži (Jakob Konda)
- New guy at the festival – Croatian writer Krunoslav Mikulan
- Croatian scene – conventions, festivals and major calls for literature - Mirko Karas (Sfera Society from Zagreb)
- Serbian scene – happenings, books – Tihomir Jovanović Tika
House of Culture (at 19h)
- The reveal of the Slovene translation of The White Room by Živković (moderator Matej Krajnc, speakers were Zoran Živković (author) and Bojan Ekselenski (translator))
- Presentation of the results of the last call for stories (moderator Dominik Lenarčič)
- Presentation of the literary call for Fanfest 9: Green Celje (Bojan Ekselenski)

Sunday, 20th October

Celje House of Culture (10:30)
- Panel workshop: The logic of literary worlds (Zoran Živković, Bojan Ekselenski)

More about the festival (in Slovene).