Skopje, 3 March 2025 (MIA) — The latest novels by Igor Angjelkov, Rumena Buzharovska, Vlado Janevski, Vladimir Jankovski, Simona Jovanoska, Kica Kolbe, Kalina Maleska, and Ognena Nikuljski have made the shortlist for the 26th Novel of the Year award, contest organizers said Monday.

According to Slavko Janevski Foundation in a press release, a panel of five judges chose the following eight books published in 2024 from the 43 entries submitted this year.

1. "The Wind Up" by Igor Angjelkov, Ili-ili

2. "Tony" by Rumena Buzharovska, Tri

3. "Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe" by Vlado Janevski, Ili-ili

4. "The Acrobats' Echo" by Vladimir Jankovski, Ars Libris

5. "Leska Brezoska" by Simona Jovanoska, Ili-ili

6. "Forgiveness" by Kica Kolbe, Ili-ili

7. "The World I Have Chosen" by Kalina Maleska, Ili-ili

8. "Both an Eyehole and a Peephole", Ognena Nikuljski, Antolog

The panel consists of writer Lidija Dimkovska, last year's winner and this year's panel chair; literary critic and professor Maja Bojadzhievska; Macedonian language lecturer and poet Gjoko Zdraveski; poet Andrej Al-Asadi; and Slavko Janevski Foundation representative Katerina Bogoeva.

The winner will be announced at a press conference on March 14.

Komercijalna Banka and the Ministry of Culture are sponsoring the annual award, which consists of a statuette, a plaque, and Mden 150,000.

Between 1999 and 2017, the Novel of the Year award was given by Utrinski vesnik. After the newspaper’s demise, Slavko Janevski Foundation took over the book contest. mr/