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Martinovanje and memoir writing at Slovenski dom in London 16 November

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Slovenski dom in London is inviting for Martinovanje (the traditional Slovene festival of new wine) on 16th November at 5:30 pm. 

They will offer food and drinks but you can contribute a goody or two yourself. Teddy will play renowned Slovene compositions on his accordeon.

Reserve your place at info@skm-london.org.uk or the phone and whatsapp number +44 736 5353 900. Address: 62 Offley Road, London SW9 0LS

Martinovanje will be preceded by a creative memoir writing workshop  with Marta Maretich at 4 pm. There are still a few places available.

 

The Slovenian Catholic Chaplaincy in London also organises regular masses in London. They take place every fourth Sunday in a month at 5 pm.

Once a month they also organise Slovene hours for children. The present group comprises children from 1 to 11 years. There is room for a few more children.

List of other events in Slovenski dom in London till the end of this year:

Sunday 17th November at 10:30 am: Slovene hours for children

Sunday 24th November at 5 pm – Slovene mass

Saturday 7th December at 11:00 am – Slovene St. Nicholas for children

Sunday 15th December  at 5 pm – Slovene social evening with film

Sunday 22nd December  at 5 pm – Slovene mass

 

Reminder: Martinovanje in Cambridge , 9 November

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VTIS  Great Britain is organising  Martinovanje in Quy Village Hall near Cambridge.  Main St, Stow cum Quy, Cambridge CB25 9AB (G-Maps location: TUKAJ)

Presentation of studies at Slovenian universities

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Information from the Office for Slovenians Abroad concerning a presentation of their studies by Slovenian universities:

Vse, ki zanima študij v Sloveniji, vabimo na spletno predstavitev študija na slovenskih univerzah. Predstavitev, ki jo pripravlja ekipa Study in Slovenia, bo v petek, 22. novembra 2024, ob 14. uri in je namenjena prav Slovencem v zamejstvu in po svetu.

V okviru predstavitev vam bodo predstavili uporabne informacije glede študija in življenja v Sloveniji. Prav tako boste imeli priložnost, da se preko spleta srečate s predstavniki Univerze v Ljubljani (UL), Univerze v Mariboru (UM), Univerze na Primorskem (UP) in Univerze v Novi Gorici (UNG), Univerze v Novem mestu (UNM) in Nove univerze.

Predstavitev bo potekala v slovenskem jeziku.

Če bi želeli prisluhniti predstavitvi v angleščini, predlagamo, da se virtualno povežete z organizatorji v četrtek, 21. novembra, ob 14. uri. Za prijavitelje iz Zahodnega Balkana je na voljo tudi predstavitev v sredo, 20. novembra, ob 14. uri.

Za udeležbo na predstavitvah se je potrebno prijaviti prek spletne prijavnice.

 

Come to BSS Christmas Carol Service in London 6th December

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The BSS warmly invites you to our annual Christmas Carol Service on Friday 6th December 2024, at 7 pm. We will gather again in the Church of St Martin Ludgate, 40 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7DE.

Do come and join in our service of carols and readings in English and Slovene. If you would like to do a reading, that would be most welcome. Contact BSS Trustee James Walker:  jameswalker5330@gmail.com.  Afterwards there will be a chance to catch up with friends over potica (offered by the Society) and Christmas drinks.

There is no charge but a collection is taken to support the work of the Barka charity in Slovenia.

Nearby stations are City Thameslink, Blackfriars and St Paul’s.

City Thameslink has very long platforms with exits at both ends.  For St Martin Ludgate, take the exit at the southern end of the platform  to avoid a long walk. 

    .

We are grateful to the Office for Slovenians Abroad for their financial support

Slava and Keith Miles honoured by Kranjska Gora

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The Municipality of Kranjska Gora in Slovenia has awarded Slava and Keith Miles its 39th official “Distinction”.

Slava originates from Kranjska Gora, and Keith is Honorary President and former Chairman of The British–Slovene Society.

The Zgornjesav’c newspaper wrote that Slava married a young Englishman who “swept her off her feet” but she never forgot Kranjska Gora. Both have helped the town by providing English books for the local elementary school, and arranging English students to help children with conversation. It recalled that Keith actively helped the young Slovenian state establish itself after independence.

     

Martinovanje in Cambridge, 9 November afternoon/evening

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VTIS  Great Britain is organising  Martinovanje in Quy Village Hall near Cambridge.  Main St, Stow cum Quy, Cambridge CB25 9AB (G-Maps location: TUKAJ)

Talk about post-Habsburg Yugoslav state

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We received this information from the Slovenian Embassy in London:

You are kindly invited to a talk with historian Rok Stergar organized by UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) :

Food Supply and Political Legitimacy of the New Yugoslav State
“I am a communist, f*ck King Peter and that snotty [Crown Prince] Alexander”

Tuesday 12 November 2024 at 6pm
Masaryk Room
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies
16 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW

MORE INFO

The new states created in the fall of 1918—after the Habsburg Empire had fallen apart—presented themselves as something new and better. Not only were they supposed to embody the “national yearnings” of the formerly “oppressed nations” in the Habsburg Empire, but they were also supposed to be more democratic, the administration would work better, the economy would flourish, and the harvests would be abundant. In short, they were supposed to be a decisive break with the imperial past.

But the new nation-states often failed to deliver on these lofty promises, and their legitimacy began to erode rather quickly. In this context, the inability to quickly improve the food supply played an important role. In the Slovene part of Yugoslavia, the inadequate supply of basic foodstuffs, rationing, and rising prices exacerbated an already volatile situation, as sections of the population began to grumble, protest, and yearn for the Habsburgs looking over their northern and western borders. Police and court records, district captain’s reports, and various other sources indicate that the mood of the population quickly turned sour after the proclamation of independence, and that the legitimacy of the new state was often questioned.

Rok Stergar is Associate Professor in Modern History at the University of Ljubljana, and a historian of the Habsburg Empire in the long nineteenth century, the First World War, and of nationalism. He is the author of two books and numerous articles on nationalisms in the Habsburg Empire, the First World War, and post-imperial transitions. His third book is under contract with the CEU Press.

He is the Director of “Slovene History” research program and is currently leading (with Václav Šmidrkal) a three-year research grant “Nourishing Victory: Food Supply and Post-Imperial Transition in the Czech Lands and Slovenia, 1918-1923.”

His most recent publication is the article (co-authored with Jan Bernot) “A Cacophony of Classifications: Education and Identification in a Prenational Empire,” Nationalities Papers (2024).

 

Slovenian Memoir-Writing Workshop with Marta Maretich, 16th November, London

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Author Marta Maretich invites you to a Slovenian memoir-writing workshop at Slovenski Dom in London.

Duration: 1. 5 hours

Requirements: Participants need to bring a small personal item that relates to their Slovene background, as well as writing materials. All other materials will be provided.

Class information

Where: Slovenski Dom,
62 Offley Road,
London SW9 0LS

When: 4-5:30 pm, Saturday 16th November, 2024

Instructor: Marta Maretich

For more information and to sign up: Contact Debora Porenta, 07365353900.

Are you interested in writing about your Slovene background but don’t know where to start? Curious about a certain object — perhaps something you’ve inherited or a found in the family archives—and would like to know more about how it links to your history?

Material objects are powerful tools for unlocking human memory and establishing meaningful connections with the past. Ordinary things, such as a pieces of jewelry, photographs, cookbooks or toys — anything! — can be starting points for researching personal history, gathering information toward a written memoir, or simply creating coherent stories about the past that you can share with family and friends.

In this hands-on workshop, Marta Maretich will demonstrate how you can use the objects you bring to class with you to investigate aspects of your Slovene past. Drawing on techniques and exercises designed to encourage careful observation, reflection, and recording, you will explore your objects and learn more about what they might have to teach you about your background.

This is an interactive class in which we will write, discuss and share our discoveries with one another. The class will be conducted in English. Come prepared to participate and learn from your fellow Slovenes as we investigate our stories together.

Participants are also cordially invited to the Slovenski Dom Martinovanje celebration, which will be held in the Dom following the class.

About Marta Maretich

Marta Maretich is a novelist, journalist and editor. She holds a masters degree in creative writing and is the author of three novels. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in many publications and she has taught creative writing at university level, most recently at Regents University, London. Her grandfather, Alois Marjetič, hailed from Gorenje Radulje in southern Slovenia. For more information about Marta, go to www.martamaretich.com.

 

 

 

 

Music, words and poetry of Gregor Strniša, 17 October, London

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Message from The Slovenian Embassy in London:

You are kindly invited to the launch of the poetry collection SPACE by Slovenian poet Gregor Strniša. Translator of Strniša’s poetry Nada Grošelj will be presenting his poetry collection alongside poet and singer-songwriter Matej Krajnc, who created an album of selected Strniša’s poems with music.

Music, words and the poetry of Gregor Strniša:
Launching the poetry collection SPACE

Thursday, 17 October 2024 at 6pm

Barbican Centre
Barbican Library, Level 2
Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

BOOK TICKETS

Gregor Strniša (1930-1987) remains one of the greatest modern Slovenian poets, highly influential to the new generations of poetry writers. Space (outer space) is probably his most elaborate concept, which he speaks about at the beginning of his essay in the book called “Space”. He assembled this book from his space-oriented opus. This is not a chronological nor anthological review and summary of his poetry, but rather a newly compiled thematic selection following the principles of the topic of space.

Vlado Kreslin in London, 21st November

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Vlado Kreslin has performed for the British-Slovene Society several times in the last years. He has now attracted attention of Conway Hall in London and will perform there on 21st November. This is how they present him and invite people to their concert:

Vlado Kreslin is one of the best-known Slovenian musicians and songwriters, playing his own unique mix of Blues mixed with folk music. He has been referred to as an ‘ethno-revivalist’ due to his modernization of traditional songs, drawing on the rich traditions and ethnic heritage of his homeland and across the region. He is constantly performing worldwide and has opened twice for Bob Dylan and other world acts, such as R.E.M., the Dubliners, Allan Taylor and the Barcelona Gypsy and Klezmer Orchestra.

In addition to performing songs in his native Slovenian, Kreslin’s repertoire also includes English and Irish folksongs, sevdah from Bosnia, Italian ballads and folk songs in various dialects such as Istrian and Littoral.

Age Recommendation: All ages

Price: Standard £29

Access Information

Due to the age and Grade II listing of the building, there is no lift access to rooms above the ground floor.

All the ground-floor rooms are fully accessible by wheelchair. Main Hall (street access, step-free), Brockway Room (street access, step-free), Bertrand Russell Room (street access, shallow ramp), Cafe (street access, step-free). There is also an accessible toilet on the ground floor opposite the Brockway Room.

FURTHER INFO

If you have any accessibility enquiries, please contact us at info@conwayhall.org.uk / 020 7405 1818

CONWAY HALL

25 Red Lion Square,

London, WC1R 4RL