Podcasts about Croatian

On 9 October 1934, terrorists murdered King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in a Marseille street. The Croatian ultranationalist Ustashe was behind the attack. The Ustashe hoped that the king's death would cause the collapse of Yugoslavia and the liberation of the Croat people. Murder in Marseille: Right-Wing Terrorism in 1930s Europe (Manchester UP, 2025) examines the circumstances, processes, and trajectories that shaped the Ustashe terrorists and their attack in Marseille. It brings questions about contemporary terrorism to bear on a historical attack: what prompts people to join terrorist organisations? How are these people ‘radicalised' to commit violence? What roles do women play in terrorism? Murder in Marseille bridges the scholarly gap between historical and contemporary terrorism, paying attention to, and often guided by, current concerns, ideas, theories, and notions about terrorist violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

On 9 October 1934, terrorists murdered King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in a Marseille street. The Croatian ultranationalist Ustashe was behind the attack. The Ustashe hoped that the king's death would cause the collapse of Yugoslavia and the liberation of the Croat people. Murder in Marseille: Right-Wing Terrorism in 1930s Europe (Manchester UP, 2025) examines the circumstances, processes, and trajectories that shaped the Ustashe terrorists and their attack in Marseille. It brings questions about contemporary terrorism to bear on a historical attack: what prompts people to join terrorist organisations? How are these people ‘radicalised' to commit violence? What roles do women play in terrorism? Murder in Marseille bridges the scholarly gap between historical and contemporary terrorism, paying attention to, and often guided by, current concerns, ideas, theories, and notions about terrorist violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/national-security

Playlist: MPS Divandzije - O zitu mi pjevaj dragaMladen Grdovic - Tu je moj domIbrica Jusic - Svi smo mi jednoTS Berekini - Proplakat ce zoraOptimisti - Zagorska matiThe Dekle - Zadnja zelja

Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola welcome in Croatian legend and Hajduk Split Technical Director Ivan Rakitic for an unmissable conversation. Ivan opens up about his illustrious playing career (2:50), Croatia's World Cup magic (08:37), choosing between two national teams (15:52), and his time at Barcelona during the Messi era (19:54). Ivan reflects on playing alongside Jermaine Jones at Schalke (24:28), offers advice for the USMNT ahead of next year's World Cup (28:20), explains what Christian Pulisic can learn from Luka Modric (35:02), and reveals his all-time favorite teammates (38:15). The guys then turn the spotlight back on the USMNT following the September window. Mauricio Pochettino wants all the smoke (42:53), where Tim Ream should play (54:12), and the Gold Cup drama is finally in the rearview (59:40). Call It What You Want is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Call It What You Want team on X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JimmyConrad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @CharlieDavies9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TMeola1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all the latest in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sportsbook reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sportsbook promos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betting on soccer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also watch Call It What You Want on the CBS Sports Golazo Network for free on connected TVs and mobile devices through the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV, and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CBSSports.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramount+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, EFL, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF Nations League, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División, AFC Champion League by subscribing to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramount+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Golazo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

RUNDOWN   Plenty of sports heartbreak — from the Dolphins' ongoing struggles to the Seahawks' gut-punch opener. But there is relief in the Mariners' explosive bats and the Huskies' video-game offense, before shifting gears to launch the annual Beat the Boys contest, presented by Fireside Home Solutions. Listeners get the scoop on how to re-register, this year's lineup of “the boys” (including a new addition, Jason Puckett), and the all-important first password. Along the way, the guys swap birthday trivia, share a Pink backstory you won't forget, and set the stage for a packed show of Seahawks, Mariners, and college football talk. Mitch and Hotshot dive into the Seahawks' frustrating Week 1 loss to the 49ers, where Sam Darnold's quiet debut and Riq Woolen's costly miscues overshadowed a defense that couldn't quite finish the job. They debate Mike Macdonald's decision to kick on a crucial 4th-and-1, the missing downfield threat without DK Metcalf, and whether Seattle's “smashmouth” identity is more talk than reality. Shifting gears, the guys celebrate the Mariners' offensive eruption — 28 runs over two games — that keeps them two games up in the Wild Card race with 19 left, 13 at home. Hope rises in Seattle, but fans have learned to brace for heartbreak. Mitch welcomes Brady Henderson and Jacson Bevens to dissect Seattle's 17–13 Week 1 loss to the 49ers. The defense largely held its ground, limiting San Francisco to 17 points, but the offense sputtered behind Sam Darnold and a conservative game plan. The panel debates Mike Macdonald's critical fourth-down decision, the ongoing frustrations with cornerback Riq Woolen, and the lack of offensive balance despite Jackson Smith-Njigba's breakout. Mitch sits down with Joe Doyle and Brady Farkas to break down a much-needed rebound weekend for the Mariners. With Julio Rodríguez heating up, a rotation trying to steady itself, and 13 of the final 19 games at home, the M's are still firmly in the postseason race. The crew debates Seattle's playoff odds, the outlook for Jorge Polanco's contract, and the development of young catcher Harry Ford. Plus, they preview crucial upcoming series against the Cardinals and Angels as the AL West chase tightens. Rick Neuheisel joins Mitch to recap an eventful Week 2 in college football, from South Florida's upset of Florida to Oregon's early dominance behind quarterback Dante Moore. The two dive into Florida's coaching hot seat, Jedd Fisch's future at Washington, and why Arch Manning's mechanics and rhythm remain under scrutiny as Texas gears up for the SEC gauntlet. Neuheisel also hands out “Chicken Caesar soft tacos” to standout players and duos across the country before making his Week 3 pick: Texas Tech to roll big over Oregon State.   GUESTS   Brady Henderson | Seahawks Insider, ESPN Jacson Bevens | Writer, Cigar Thoughts Brady Farkas | Host, Refuse to Lose Podcast (Mariners on SI) Joe Doyle | MLB Draft & Mariners Analyst, Over-Slot Substack Rick Neuheisel | CBS College Football Analyst, Former Head Coach & Rose Bowl Champion   TABLE OF CONTENTS   0:00 | Mitch & Hotshot Return: Seahawks Frustrations, Dolphins Woes, and Beat the Boys is Back 6:18 | BEAT THE BOYS, Presented by Fireside Home Solutions. Register at MitchUnfiltered.com 19:25 | Seahawks Fall Short, Mariners Find Their Bats 40:58 | GUEST: Seahawks No-Table; Seahawks Stumble in Opener: Defense Shines, Offense Falters 1:07:51 | GUEST: Mariners No-Table; Mariners Snap the Slide, Eyeing a Playoff Push 1:34:28 | GUEST: Rick Neuheisel; Breaks Down Week 2 Surprises and Week 3 Showdowns 2:02:21 | Other Stuff Segment: Topics covered include a Phillies fan stealing a home run ball, Mitch's Beatles interview recap, future guest diver Yohei Yamada, Anthony Rizzo losing his wedding ring, the Astronomer CEO affair update, Anna Kournikova's pregnancy, Sean Kemp at a Lil Wayne concert, a Croatian freediver's breath-hold record, and the announcement of a Tyson vs. Mayweather exhibition. RIPs: Mark Volman of The Turtles (“Happy Together”), Davey Johnson the MLB player and manager best known for leading the 1986 Mets, Cowboys linebacker Lee Roy Jordan of the Doomsday Defense, beloved college basketball coach George Raveling who helped connect Michael Jordan with Nike, heavyweight boxer Joe Bugner who fought Ali and Frazier, Hall of Fame Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden with six Stanley Cups, and Tom Hostetter, a Pacific Northwest golf professional and father-in-law of listener Maddie. HEADLINES: an NHS surgeon who had his own legs removed to satisfy a fetish was jailed for insurance fraud, a foot model was run over after refusing a date's foot-smelling request, Senator John Kennedy claimed radioactive shrimp will turn you into an alien, and a man in Batman pajamas helped police stop a robbery (with Hotshot's “Boner Man” twist).

Composer Jeff Danna (The Good Dinosaur, The Boondock Saints) joins me on The Film Scorer podcast just before we wrap up season 5! Oddly enough, I've listened to quite a bit of music from the Silent Hill franchise over the last 15 months or so, and it turns out that Jeff "scored" the two film adaptations from earlier in the 2000s (I used "scored" in quotes because the real story is a bit more complicated than that). So of course, I used our conversation as an excuse to ask all about Silent Hill, including why the first film never got a proper score release, and he tells me about having to re-record and re-create every single musical sound from Akira Yamaoka's game scores for the films. Quite a feat. Of course, Jeff didn't come on the show to talk about Silent Hill movies from 15-20 years ago. Instead, we spend most of our time talking about his score for the hit Netflix series The Hunting Wives. The conversation goes from creating a unique palette for east Texas (particularly through the Croatian prim), scoring sexiness (the key is not aiming for sexy music), and plenty more. Along the way, we get pretty in-depth about what makes for a good theme, when you need to cast one aside and start over, and how thematic music requires a commitment from the composer and the director; after all, the latter has to be comfortable with a a musical commitment to their characters, as character and theme become intertwined. Jeff's score, and much of his other music, is available on all major platforms while The Hunting Wives is currently streaming on Netflix. You can find out more about Jeff on his website.

Playlist: KUD Cvitovic - Ide jesenTempo Band - VivodinaStjepan Sabljaric - Nas OzaljAlen Pracic - Mala CospaKavaliri - Tu je raj

The programme is mostly spoken in Croatian and is filled with music, news, and current events from within the Croatian community in Wellington and around the world. Sponsored by the Croatian Cultural Society of Wellington.

This is „Easy Croatian“ – a weekly podcast brought to you by SBS Croatian and the Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie University. “Easy Croatian” is intended for those who want to brush up on their Croatian. News is written in simpler and shorter sentences and read at a slower pace. Before we move on to the feature, you will hear some of the more complex vocabulary and expressions, followed by their English translations. The transcript, as well as a short quiz, can be found below.

This is „Easy Croatian“ – a weekly podcast brought to you by SBS Croatian and the Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie University. “Easy Croatian” is intended for those who want to brush up on their Croatian. News is written in simpler and shorter sentences and read at a slower pace. Before we move on to the feature, you will hear some of the more complex vocabulary and expressions, followed by their English translations. The transcript, as well as a short quiz, can be found below.

Playlist: Ivan Barcan - Jedna kap veseljaMartin Sagner - Djevojka PodravkaTS Fijaker - Po dobru pamti meKUD Cvitovic - Alaj mi se i oce i dadeInat Slavonski - Tamo gdje je VukovarIvanka Boljkovac - Ne placi Hrvatska mojaMate Grgat - Prikrizi se i pomoliNHT - Zemljo nasa

The programme is mostly spoken in Croatian and is filled with music, news, and current events from within the Croatian community in Wellington and around the world. Sponsored by the Croatian Cultural Society of Wellington.

Small Wineries Under Pressure: On today's AgNet News Hour, the Ag Meter hit the road for an on-location interview at Ziveli Winery, tucked between Kerman and Fresno. Host Nick Papagni spoke with John and CalebCaleb Caleb, who shared their family's rich Croatian winemaking roots, the challenges of keeping small wineries afloat, and what it takes to market wine in a rapidly changing industry. A Family Legacy in Wine John Nale explained how his grandparents immigrated from Croatia in 1928, eventually settling in the Central Valley and planting vines that would lay the foundation for generations of winemaking. Their winery today blends that family heritage with a modern vision for community, offering weddings, events, and tastings in a beautifully restored barn. “Every year we do a little project, and this is what we get,” John said, noting the pride in carrying on the tradition. Struggles Facing Small Wineries The Nales were candid about the headwinds California wineries face. Declining wine sales, high labor and equipment costs, and rising regulations have left many operations in the red. “There might be three or four wineries that are making any money,” John admitted. The family has been forced to take on off-farm jobs to make ends meet, with John warning that small wineries often need 1,000 acres and no debt to stay sustainable. Caleb added that younger consumers often see wine as intimidating, preferring seltzers, cocktails, or sugary alternatives like Stella Rosa. He emphasized the importance of educating new wine drinkers and offering sweeter, approachable wines to attract them. Wine slushies and canned wines may not appeal to traditionalists, but they're entry points for a new generation. Competing in a Global Market The interview also highlighted how imports from Italy, Chile, and Mexico are undercutting California growers. John noted it can even be cheaper to ship frozen grapes from Chile than to buy locally in Lodi. “If that's true, we have a lot of issues,” he said. High costs and strict regulations, they argue, are pushing small farmers to the brink while international competitors thrive. Despite the challenges, the Nales remain committed to keeping their family winery open. “We decided a long time ago that we're going to keep farming until we're made to put a sign up for sale,” John said. For the full conversation with John and Caleb Nale of Ziveli Winery, listen to the AgNet News Hour.

In this episode of "Normal World," Dave Landau and Angela kick things off while Garrett is away, sending love and support to him and his family. The show begins with Croatian free diver Vitomir Maričić shattering a world record by holding his breath for 29 minutes, followed by Gene Simmons celebrating his 76th birthday. From there, the conversation spirals into Starbucks bathroom chaos, Hollywood Boulevard encounters, and the stranger corners of Venice Beach. The panel then shifts to international headlines with India's Donald Trump effigy protest before turning to the bizarre saga of a California “serial butt sniffer.” Florida's rollout of AI drones designed to prevent school shootings sparks a wider discussion on SSRIs, overprescription, therapy, masculinity, and the Roman concept of virtus, with reflections on how social media reshapes modern connection and resilience. Later, Detroit crime reports collide with live police chases and debates over self-defense laws, raising questions about justice, fear, and restraint. The tone pivots again with a long comedic detour into Steven Seagal's late-career persona, from “chair-fu” fight choreography to his viral Russian dance moves. The episode wraps with Disney's push to recapture young male audiences, inspiring tongue-in-cheek pitches for reboots like "Lilo and Wick" and a bullet-dodging Donald Duck. Today's guests on "Normal World" are Austin Robertson and Jeremy Ryan Slate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss alliances forming in the Balkans, Israel/Iran, Russia/Ukraine and quality vs quantity. Tom Luongo is a former research chemist, amateur dairy goat farmer, libertarian, and economist whose work can be found on Zero Hedge and Newsmax Media. He hosts the Gold Goats ‘n Guns Podcast.Alex Krainer is a Croatian national, former hedge fund manager, author and contributing editor at Zero Hedge. To watch the Full Cornerstone Forum: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcastGet your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500Silver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: SNP@silvergoldbull.comText Grahame: (587) 441-9100Bow Valley Credit UnionBitcoin: www.bowvalleycu.com/en/personal/investing-wealth/bitcoin-gatewayEmail: welcome@BowValleycu.com Use the code “SNP” on all ordersProphet River Links:Website: store.prophetriver.com/Email: SNP@prophetriver.comExpat Money SummitWebsite: ExpatMoneySummit.com

*Latham v V'Landys. *Barnaby v O'Keefe. *Locals v Croatian club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Latham v V'Landys. *Barnaby v O'Keefe. *Locals v Croatian club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Latham v V'Landys. *Barnaby v O'Keefe. *Locals v Croatian club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if “wealth” wasn't about hitting some magic number in your bank account… but instead about clarity, cash flow, and confidence to live a life you never have to retire from?That's exactly what this week's guest, Brian Skrobonja, has helped thousands of high-net-worth entrepreneurs and business owners figure out over the last 30 years.Brian is a nationally recognized wealth advisor, a Forbes Top 10 podcast host, and the creator of the WealthSync Process—a system that goes way beyond rates of return to align your money with your life's bigger purpose.We dive deep into:Why most people define “wealth” the wrong wayHow to think about passive income beyond real estate or investmentsThe psychology of purpose after a business sale or big transitionThe tax blind spots that cost founders millions (and how to avoid them)If you're an entrepreneur who's built wealth, sold a business, or are staring down a transition—you cannot afford to miss this conversation.KEY INSIGHTS & TAKEAWAYS:Wealth Isn't a Number — It's Purpose-Driven Most people chase net worth goals… but often end up miserable. Brian reframes wealth as “funding your purpose,” not just padding your account.Cash Flow is King Assets alone don't equal freedom. Everything should be measured against one question: “How does this affect cash flow?”The Myth of Retirement You can retire from a job—but you don't want to retire from life. Align your money with activities, goals, and impact that keep you engaged and alive.Tax Blind Spots that Burn Millions Business exits, 401Ks, and charitable giving are often mishandled. The difference between structuring a deal before or after signing could be millions saved.The WealthSync Process Brian's proprietary system ties together lifestyle goals, business exits, philanthropy, tax planning, and legacy so your money actually funds your life.TIME STAMPS:[00:00:00] Introduction – Why “clarity, confidence & cash flow” matter more than chasing returns.[00:03:10] The #1 money mistake most couples and founders make.[00:05:51] Brian's backstory: from Croatian family work ethic to building a financial legacy.[00:08:56] The mindset shift from working harder → building passive income.[00:10:38] Introducing the WealthSync Process: aligning money with purpose.[00:14:07] Why $10M net worth can still leave people miserable.[00:16:36] Helping founders after business exits: the “Monday after the sale” question.[00:23:58] CPA blind spots, charitable strategies, and avoiding tax disasters.[00:29:27] Assets to Income: how to make your money actually work for you.[00:31:27] Everything comes back to cash flow.[00:32:33] Build a life you don't have to retire from.In this episode, I sit down with nationally recognized wealth advisor Brian Skrobonja to break down why the traditional wealth path is broken, how passive income actually works, and why wealth isn't a number—it's about clarity, confidence, and cash flow.If you're planning a business exit, sitting on a tax-deferred fortune, or just want to create reliable cash flow—you need this conversation.

Professor Haim Bresheeth is the son of Holocaust survivors, raised in Palestine and Israel, and a founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine. He served in the Israeli army during the Six-Day War in 1967—an event that transformed his life forever. On Nov. 1, 2024, Bresheeth was arrested in London after giving a speech at a pro-Palestine rally outside the home of Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom. In this installment of our ongoing series “Not In Our Name” on The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Professor Bresheeth about his path to becoming an Israeli Jewish scholar and activist fighting for Palestinian liberation and fighting against the horrors of Zionism, including Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.Guest:Haim Bresheeth is a filmmaker, photographer, and a film studies scholar, retired from the University of East London, where he worked since early 2002. He is the son of Holocaust survivors and a founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine. His books include the best-selling Introduction to the Holocaust—the first version, which was reprinted numerous times, was titled Holocaust for Beginners (1993), has been translated into multiple languages, including Turkish, Croatian and Japanese.Additional resources:Jewish Network for Palestine websiteDerek Seidman, Truthout, “Jewish anti-Zionist activist describes his arrest under UK's Anti-Terror Law”Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, “Holocaust survivor Gabor Maté: Gaza genocide ‘the worst thing I've seen in my whole life'”Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, “Yes, goddamnit, it's genocide!: A conversation with Norman Solomon”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankFollow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Apple PodcastsHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetwork

Professor Haim Bresheeth is the son of Holocaust survivors, raised in Palestine and Israel, and a founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine. He served in the Israeli army during the Six-Day War in 1967—an event that transformed his life forever. On Nov. 1, 2024, Bresheeth was arrested in London after giving a speech at a pro-Palestine rally outside the home of Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom. In this installment of our ongoing series “Not In Our Name” on The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Professor Bresheeth about his path to becoming an Israeli Jewish scholar and activist fighting for Palestinian liberation and fighting against the horrors of Zionism, including Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.Guest:Haim Bresheeth is a filmmaker, photographer, and a film studies scholar, retired from the University of East London, where he worked since early 2002. He is the son of Holocaust survivors and a founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine. His books include the best-selling Introduction to the Holocaust—the first version, which was reprinted numerous times, was titled Holocaust for Beginners (1993), has been translated into multiple languages, including Turkish, Croatian and Japanese.Additional resources:Jewish Network for Palestine websiteDerek Seidman, Truthout, “Jewish anti-Zionist activist describes his arrest under UK's Anti-Terror Law”Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, “Holocaust survivor Gabor Maté: Gaza genocide ‘the worst thing I've seen in my whole life'”Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, “Yes, goddamnit, it's genocide!: A conversation with Norman Solomon”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankFollow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Apple PodcastsHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetwork

Benfica has made their biggest summer splash, signing Croatian sensation Franjo Ivanović for €28 million! We break down what this electrifying forward brings to the Estádio da Luz, how he fits into Bruno Lage's system, and why this isn't just a transfer—it's a massive statement of intent from the Portuguese giants. Get ready for a deep dive into the player's style, stats, and what this move means for the title race and Europe.Benfica transfer news, Franjo Ivanović, Bruno Lage tactics, Primeira Liga, football transfers

It is only the second weekend, but this LaLiga campaign is shaping up to be a phenomenal one. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to dissect and analyse the second round of fixtures.Barça appeared to be heading for an early slip in defence of their title, trailing newly-promoted Levante at half-time. But Hansi Flick worked his magic again and produced another super-remontada, with the winner coming late to break Granota hearts. However, Flick and Román have a clear message: Don't sell Casadó.Villarreal barely needed 25 minutes to ensure they took another three points, as they demolished Girona 5-0 on Sunday. Tayjon Buchanan was the star of the show with the first hat-trick of the season, and a celebration to match. Currently top, how long can Marcelino's side stay there; where will this season of promise take them? As for the visitors, where do they go from here? Míchel was crestfallen and spoke pointedly and publicly after the game.What about Atleti? The sensations are not good after they stumbled once again. Despite taking the lead, they could only draw with newly-promoted — albeit extremely encouraging — Elche. With just one point from six, are they already out of serious contention for the title?After the break we look at Real Madrid and their 3-0 win over Oviedo. It wasn't quite as simple as the score-line suggested, but it was a deserved victory, spearheaded by the player Román says is the best in the league. We talk about interesting personnel decisions from Xabi Alonso, too. It could be a race for the ages.There was also an entertaining draw between Real Sociedad and Espanyol, a first win for Betis in their new temporary home, and Alessio Lisci's first victory coming courtesy of their Croatian swan.Ahead of Monday's matches, we try and predict who Getafe might lineup against Sevilla, especially if they sell Christantus Uche before kick off…You can subscribe for more content throughout every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Playlist: Histri - Stari dome mojKUD Vincica - Bilo je govoraMaestral - Prolazi mi zivotNedzad Salkovic - Nemoj zamnom zaplakati

Forest are back in for Strasbourg winger Bakwa and are set to battle Leeds for his signing! To Buy Wolfie A Coffee! Click Here: https://buymeacoffee.com/forestfantv Welcome to the latest transfer update on Forest Fan TV, where Nottingham Forest are gearing up for a fierce battle with Leeds United to sign Strasbourg winger Bakwa who's caught Forest's eye! The 22-year-old French winger has been on the Reds' radar for some time due to his pace, dribbling skills, and goal threat in Ligue 1, with reports suggesting a €20m-€25m transfer fee. Wolfie breaks down whether Forest can outmanoeuvre Leeds in this summer showdown, especially as Nuno Espírito Santo looks to bolster the attacking options alongside new arrivals like Douglas Luiz for the 2025-26 season. In other big news, we have an update on manager Nuno Espírito Santo's future amid ongoing speculation about a potential sacking by owner Evangelos Marinakis. Following the fiery press conference and recent tensions over transfers and results, sources indicate the situation remains tense, but Wolfie dives into the latest reports to assess if Nuno is staying or going—especially after the heated Crystal Palace clash. Will Marinakis pull the trigger, or will Nuno get the backing to lead Forest in Europe? Rounding out the updates, Forest are linked with a potential new goalkeeper in Dominik Livaković from Fenerbahçe, the Croatian shot-stopper who impressed at the 2022 World Cup and has been a mainstay in Turkey. With Matz Sels performing well but questions over depth, this €10m move could provide competition and security between the posts. Jump into the comments and let us know your thoughts on the Bakwa race, Nuno's fate, and if Livaković would be a smart signing! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Forest Fan TV updates! #nffc #nottinghamforest #transfernews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is only the second weekend, but this LaLiga campaign is shaping up to be a phenomenal one. Join Matt Clark (@MattClark_08) and Román De Arquer (@Aeroslavee) to dissect and analyse the second round of fixtures.Barça appeared to be heading for an early slip in defence of their title, trailing newly-promoted Levante at half-time. But Hansi Flick worked his magic again and produced another super-remontada, with the winner coming late to break Granota hearts. However, Flick and Román have a clear message: Don't sell Casadó.Villarreal barely needed 25 minutes to ensure they took another three points, as they demolished Girona 5-0 on Sunday. Tayjon Buchanan was the star of the show with the first hat-trick of the season, and a celebration to match. Currently top, how long can Marcelino's side stay there; where will this season of promise take them? As for the visitors, where do they go from here? Míchel was crestfallen and spoke pointedly and publicly after the game.What about Atleti? The sensations are not good after they stumbled once again. Despite taking the lead, they could only draw with newly-promoted — albeit extremely encouraging — Elche. With just one point from six, are they already out of serious contention for the title?After the break we look at Real Madrid and their 3-0 win over Oviedo. It wasn't quite as simple as the score-line suggested, but it was a deserved victory, spearheaded by the player Román says is the best in the league. We talk about interesting personnel decisions from Xabi Alonso, too. It could be a race for the ages.There was also an entertaining draw between Real Sociedad and Espanyol, a first win for Betis in their new temporary home, and Alessio Lisci's first victory coming courtesy of their Croatian swan.Ahead of Monday's matches, we try and predict who Getafe might lineup against Sevilla, especially if they sell Christantus Uche before kick off…You can subscribe for more content throughout every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is „Easy Croatian“ – a weekly podcast brought to you by SBS Croatian and the Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie University. “Easy Croatian” is intended for those who want to brush up on their Croatian. News is written in simpler and shorter sentences and read at a slower pace. Before we move on to the feature, you will hear some of the more complex vocabulary and expressions, followed by their English translations. The transcript, as well as a short quiz, can be found below.

In this episode of Wine Behind the Scenes, Laurel Simmons reconnects with Kit Pepper, a wine editor, educator, and founder of Cheers Croatia Magazine. Kit, who lives on the island that's a 50-minute ferry ride from the Dalmatian city of Split, returns to dive even deeper into Croatia's long, complex relationship with wine. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to the shadow of communism and the wars of the 1990s, Kit shares how politics, geography, and culture shaped Croatian viniculture and how the industry is thriving today. The conversation also explores the rise of wine tourism, the stunning repurposing of historical spaces, like bomb shelters and military tunnels as tasting rooms, and the unique grapes and flavours you'll only find in this part of the world. What You'll Learn: Why Croatia's wine culture is thousands of years older than most people think How communist rule and war nearly erased the industry and what revived it The story behind unique grapes like Plavac Mali, Pošip, and Graševina How tourism, history, and wine are deeply connected in Croatia What makes Croatian winemakers so innovative in preserving tradition while pushing boundaries Katherine 'Kit' Pepper is a wine editor, educator, and founder of Cheers Croatia Magazine. A WSET Diploma holder and Certified Wine Educator, she spent years as a wine buyer and shop owner in New York before moving to Croatia. She now lives on the island of Brač, where she champions indigenous grapes and connects global wine lovers with the country's vibrant wine scene. Planning a wine trip to Europe? This episode might convince you that Croatia belongs at the top of your list. You can reach Kit here: Cheers Croatia Magazine kit@cheerscroatia.com HR: +385 091 212 0002 US: +1 212 518 8088 IG: @cheerscroatiamagazine   Listen now at www.winebehindthescenes.com

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv White House talks more important than US Russia summit in Alaska Methanol poisoning Man saw kaleidoscopic light before going blind Skibidi and tradwife among words added to Cambridge Dictionary Man guilty over role in shooting of nine year old girl in Dalston Croatian ultra nationalist mega gig exposes divided society Swatch apologises for slanted eyes ad after uproar in China Herefordshire farmer sees broccoli harvest hit by heatwave and lack of water James Bond should be a man, says Dame Helen Mirren Liverpool man banned after Antoine Semenyo racist abuse report BBC witnesses Israeli settlers attack on Palestinian farm in West Bank

Playlist: Jegedusi - Pri svetom rokuEduard Segota - SudbinaDarija Ramljak - Dosli smo ti majko dragaMarija Kras - sjeti se rodjendanaStjepan Jersek - Godine mi prolazeNeno Papic - Sveti Roko cuvaj nasu valu

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds Bryan and Josh explore Metal Garden, a short but atmospheric indie FPS from solo Croatian developer Alexandra Herout aka Tinerasoft. Set in a crumbling megastructure reclaimed by nature, the game blends old-school shooting mechanics with immersive environmental storytelling, subtle lore, and haunting mid-2000s aesthetics. Ammo scarcity, limb damage, and weighty weapons make every encounter tense, while double-jump platforming and cryptic logs reward exploration with glimpses into a forgotten Dyson-scale civilization. The game's sparse dialogue and ambient sound design evoke a sense of isolation and scale far beyond the game's runtime. So tune in as we dive into Metal Garden's bleak beauty and brutal combat while pondering the lingering question: Why do we keep descending?Three Word Reviews:Bryan - Subtlety is KeyJosh - Small Rusty Flower

This is „Easy Croatian“ – a weekly podcast brought to you by SBS Croatian and the Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie University. “Easy Croatian” is intended for those who want to brush up on their Croatian. News is written in simpler and shorter sentences and read at a slower pace. Before we move on to the feature, you will hear some of the more complex vocabulary and expressions, followed by their English translations. The transcript, as well as a short quiz, can be found below.

Join marriage coach Christa for a delightfully honest audio diary of her European family adventure! From London subway mishaps to finding her great-grandmother's mysterious grave on the Croatian island of Mali Lošinj, this episode captures the beautiful chaos of ambitious travel with heart and humor. Experience the highs and lows of trains through the English countryside to inside of Jane Austen's home where she wrote all of her books, experience Parisian haircut disasters, Venice joys and navigation challenges, and ferry rides to family history. As a 749 tritype with big dreams and bigger heart, Christa shares how travel mishaps became meaningful memories, why following family mysteries across oceans matters, and how adventure can deepen both family bonds and marriage connection. Perfect for anyone who loves travel stories, family legacy exploration, or just needs a good laugh about the reality behind Instagram-perfect vacation posts. Head on over to ⁠⁠⁠https://www.enneagramandmarriage.com/⁠⁠⁠ to check out all of our amazing freebies and resources! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@enneagramandmarriage⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook @ enneagramandmarriage ⁠⁠⁠ Have a specific question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fill out this form to get your personal questions answered now! ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave us a comment or question by sending an MP4 recording to enneagramandmarriage@gmail.com. (You can use your voice memos app on your phone to record). Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too⁠⁠ here!⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stuey Byrne, former Shelbourne Rovers player, discusses Shelbourne's Europa League qualifier against Croatian team, Rijeka.

CroSamurai is a Japanese-Australian with no Croatian roots who has taken an incredible liking to Croatian culture, language, and music! You may have seen his viral videos saying things like "Day 20/100 of singing Croatian songs." In this episode of the podcast, he talks about how he came in contact with Croatian culture and why it made such a big impact on his life. He also talks about some of his favorite Croatian songs, foods, and going to Croatia for the first time. Follow him on Insta at https://www.instagram.com/crosamurai/

Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Japan, Bahrain and Croatia.Nestled in the forest, far away from falling bombs is a pioneering summer camp for Ukrainian children whose parents have gone missing during the war. A Ukrainian charity is working to give them some relief – and much needed support – to help them cope with the ongoing uncertainty of not knowing where their parents are. Will Vernon visited the camp where art, exercise and self-expression are all vital to the healing process.It's 80 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of World War II. Some 200,000 people were killed - but the bombing had other long-lasting effects. Jordan Dunbar travelled to Hiroshima to speak to survivors who shared their stories of discrimination and social stigma.Bahrain has just one synagogue - The House of the Ten Commandments. The building was destroyed back in 1947 in a wave of communal violence, but after several decades, it was eventually restored and re-opened its doors again a few years ago. Today the synagogue serves people of all faiths, finds Iram Ramzan.The tiny Croatian island of Krapanj has long been renowned for its tradition of sponge diving, shaping the island's identity for hundreds of years. Today, this trade is under threat from climate change and over-fishing. Mary Novakovich met one of the island's remaining divers, determined to keep the culture alive.Series producer: Farhana Haider Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

On Thursday's Football Daily, Phil Egan brings you all the latest as Shels record an historic night in Europe, Pats take on Besiktas, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks of the biggest job in Irish sport.Joey O'Brien knows that the Shels job isn't done yet.Stephen Kenny knows that Mason Melia needs to get to the next level.OGS spoke to the FAI about the Ireland job.Stephen Bradley is wary of Ballkani.And is Carlos Baleba on his way to Manchester United?Become a member and subscribe at offtheball.com/join

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Playlist: Gr Ritam Noci - Nema mi do tebeTonci Huljic - ProvidencaMeri Cetinic - Sretna ce biti HrvatskaMarija Pavkovic - Nedam nikom komad plavog nebaHrvatske Ruze - SokoloviBlaz Lenger - Oj Hrvati vratite seVinko Coce - Sinju grade

Man United have copied Newcastle's homework and narrowed their striker options down to Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Šeško. That means Pete, Luke and Jim have to confront the terrifying prospect that they might actually have a decent season, as unlikely as that still sounds…We also get an update on the terrible situations at Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe, while David Moyes becomes the unlikely head of the Everton tourist board and Joško Gvardiol's pre-season training involves wielding a semi-automatic in the Croatian woods. Plus, Erik ten Hag remains adamant that Granit Xhaka won't leave Bayer Leverkusen - cue the Benny Hill theme #herewego.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows, extended Wednesday episodes, access to our Discord and early access to tickets and merch for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As our coterie continues their quest to fuck over the Habsburgs and rescue Lamis, they find themselves taking a bit of an unexpected detour along the way...Support our players:Alana aka Cassian - https://spectralcraft.ca/Chad aka Antonio - https://twitch.tv/chad8472Lee aka Iris - https://linktr.ee/beeghostyyRaven aka Jaeson - https://www.twitch.tv/raven_tree7Valencia aka Demetrienne - https://www.twitch.tv/ultravalencia and for their book - https://a.co/d/9AxCdH8Music: The Embrace and Bloody Castle by Ivan Duch (https://ivanduch.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mario Klarić is a Croatian drummer and a member of the band Thompson, who just played the largest ticketed concert of all time in Zagreb, Croatia at the Hipodrom. Mario, from Karlovac, comes on the All Things Croatia Podcast to talk about his musical background, going to music school in New York, and all the details behind drumming at the largest paid concert in history! Listen in to hear him talk about the preparation that went into performing as well as the emotions he was feeling during the concert. - Follow him on YouTube here! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjqZfdbwn7MCLNlb0lZHCZA - Please make sure to follow All Things Croatia on Spotify/Apple Podcasts and Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/allthingscroatiapodcast/ https://open.spotify.com/show/7AFDHZR0SRnT8LNZbf2Fn2?si=4ec4d2b5c0bc40d7 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-croatia/id1617545101

Playlist: Animatori - Ljeto nam se vratiloNarodni dar - Kad zapiva moja AnaVinko Coce - Sveta AnaVuco - Lipa AnaZagrebacki malisani - Volim djeda i bakuMarko Perkovic Thompson - Moj dida i jaKrunoslav Cigoj - Prolazi zivotKUD Dangubice - Goro,goro visoka siJosip Pintaric - Oprosti Boze

Episode 232: Book talk: The history of queer life in Bosnia and HerzegovinaIn this episode, Adam and Nina cover several key developments from the region, including the latest from Ukraine, breaking news from Moldova, far-right marches across Poland, and the EU's adoption of its 18th package of sanctions against Russia. Later in the episode, Alexandra and Nina are joined by Matej Vrebac, Programme Coordinator at the Sarajevo Open Centre, who researches queer history in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Matej is one of the authors of the recent publication The History of Queer Life in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conversation explores the motivation behind documenting queer history in the region, how queer lives have appeared in Bosnia and Herzegovina's past, including in folk traditions, and the importance of conducting such research and making it accessible. The book is available here in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian (BCS), with plans to publish an English edition in the future: https://soc.ba/historija-kvir-zivota-u-bosni-i-hercegovini-prva-publikacija-koja-sveobuhvatno-dokumentuje-prisustvo-zivote-i-otpor-kvir-osoba-u-bih/Support Talk Eastern Europe. Join our Patreon community! www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeCheck out the latest of issue of New Eastern Europe – Rebalancing the Baltics Sea Region

Croatia legend Davor Suker joins the Morning Footy crew to reflect on a career defined by a World Cup Golden Boot, a third-place finish in 1998, and stops at some of Europe's top clubs. He also weighs in on the future of Croatian football, the new Club World Cup, Luka Modrić's longevity, and the magic of Diego Maradona. Morning Footy is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Visit the betting arena on CBSSports.com for all the latest in sportsbook reviews and sportsbook promos for betting on soccer For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, EFL, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ Visit the betting arena on CBS Sports.com: https://www.cbssports.com/betting/ For all the latest in sportsbook reviews: https://www.cbssports.com/betting/sportsbooks/ And sportsbook promos: https://www.cbssports.com/betting/promos/ For betting on soccer: https://www.cbssports.com/betting/soccer/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 201, author Lidija Hilje talks with Sarah about her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea. Spanning two decades and one transformative summer in Croatia, Slanting Towards the Sea is a love story that also delves into the profound journey of coming of age in a nation younger than you are. Lidija shares lots of details about how this book came to be and the inspiration for the story and its lush Croatian setting, which becomes a character of its own. They also discuss how the Croatian War of Independence influenced both her own childhood and the novel's narrative. Plus, Lidija shares some of her top book recommendations! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights A brief, spoiler-free overview of Slanting Towards the Sea.  Hilje's inspiration for Slanting Towards the Sea. How Croatia became its own character in the novel. The ways Slanting Towards the Sea developed and was impacted by Lidija's never-to-be-published first novel. The impact of the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995) on Lidija's childhood and the events of the book. How Lidija shaped the ending of the novel over time. What inspired making “people pleasing” such a strong element of Ivona's character. The complete, upending change that forever shelved her first attempt at a novel. Lidija's Book Recommendations [35:58] Two OLD Books She Loves Gioavanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:12] Euphoria by Lily King (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:10] Other Books Mentioned: Writers & Lovers by Lily King (2020) [41:10]   Two NEW Books She Loves Audition by Katie Kitamura (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:33] The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:55] Other Books Mentioned: Intimacies by Katie Kitamura (2021) [41:44]  Trust by Hernán Díaz (2023) [43:41]  Second Place by Rachel Cusk (2021) [43:43]  One Book She DIDN'T Love Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:34] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About This Kind of Trouble by Tochi Eze (August 5, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[48:52] Last 5-Star Book Lidija Read We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:35] Books From the Discussion You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (2023) [22:03]

Send us a textHalo Prieteljie, In our 4th installment of the CSDS, Uncle Mike and Tony D have a lesson on Otok Brač! Some Brač specific vocab and a few universal words that might be review but will be super helpful when visiting.DJ MOE brings you the Super Slatko Report on Otok Brač you need to hear if you are considering or plan on visiting.Enjoy!Visit our website: https://www.letslearncroatian.com/We have a YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/LetsLearnCroatianLLC Merch Store: https://www.letslearncroatian.com/llc-storeKeep the content flowing, donate to the LLC: https://www.letslearncroatian.com/llc-supporters-pageBuy the LLC a Cup of Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoKX Collaborate with LLC: https://www.letslearncroatian.com/become-a-sponsorDo you FaceBook, we do: https://www.facebook.com/llcpod/?__tn__=-UC*FWe even do Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llcpod/?hl=enTeeDee's Soapshttps://www.teedeessoaps.comHello LLC Prieteljie!We launched a Buy Me a Coffee supporters page. Here's your opportunity to become an LLC Members. Lots of incentives, including: an LLC Members Only Magnet, automatic entrance to any LLC Member Only raffles & prizes and access to the LLC Members Only page on our website, where we upload new content monthly.Click on the link below.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoKXHvala, Bog!Support the show

One of the writing skills I am asked about the most is, “How do I get emotion on the page?” People ask this no matter what genre they are writing, because no one wants to produce a manuscript that is flat and unengaging. Emotion is the key, but figuring out how to inspire your reader to feel something is a tricky thing to learn and an even trickier thing to master.In her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea (Simon & Schuster, July 2025), Lidija Hilje has mastered it. The story feels so raw and so real—and English is not even Lidija's first language! It's a remarkable achievement. I'm excited to speak with Lidija about her path to publication and how she figured out how to get the emotion of her characters onto the page.Links from the Pod:Article from Jane FriedmanGuide on Literary Fiction from LidijaLidija's website: www.lidijahilje.comAuthor Accelerator book coaches Barbara Boyd and Nita CollinsHey everyone, it's Jenny Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach, which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers, I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Transcript below!EPISODE 456 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach—which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers—I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. That's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. Alright, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jennie NashHey writers, I'm Jennie Nash, and this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast, the place where we talk about writing all the things; short things, long things, fiction, nonfiction, pitches, and proposals. Today I'm talking with Lidija Hilje, the author of the novel Slanting Towards the Sea. And what we're talking about is how to capture emotion on the page—the most elusive thing in the entire writing universe. Lidija lives in Croatia. She's a former lawyer who I know because she became a book coach through Author Accelerator. This is her first novel, and it's something else. As a longtime book coach, it's really hard for me to read for pleasure anymore, because it's so hard not to see the writer at work and the seams of the creation. But Slanting Towards the Sea—I saw none of that. I fell wholly into the story and became lost in it; the olive trees and the sea, the pain of these people and this love triangle, and also just the love that they had for life and each other. It's almost unbearably raw—the way life itself can feel sometimes. And yet, since I know Lidija and her story to becoming a writer, I also know how much work it took to create this feeling and emotion. I'm so excited to speak with Lidija today, and so excited for people to hear about her and her story. So welcome, Lidija. Thanks for coming onto the podcast.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me and for this incredible introduction. I'm so honored.Jennie NashWell, before we get started, I want to read the jacket copy for Slanting Towards the Sea, so that our listeners can hear the bones of the story that you wrote. Is that okay if I read it for our listeners?Lidija HiljeAbsolutely. Thank you so much.Jennie NashOkay.Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the millennium, when newly democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise. But the challenges of living in a burgeoning country extinguished Ivona's dreams one after another—and a devastating secret forced her to set him free. Now Vlaho is remarried and a proud father of two, while Ivona's life has taken a downward turn. In her thirties, she has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing father. Bewildered by life's disappointments, she finds solace in reconnecting with Vlaho and is welcomed into his family by his spirited wife, Marina. But when a new man enters Ivona's life, the carefully cultivated dynamic between the three is disrupted, forcing a reckoning for all involved. Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, Slanting Towards the Sea is a cinematic, emotionally searing debut about the fragile nature of potential and the transcendence of love.That's it! What a—what a—what a summary, right? So I want to start by talking about the genre of this book, Lidija. As a book coach, you specialize in helping people write literary fiction. And you're extremely articulate about defining exactly what it is. And I'd like to just start there, by talking about how you see this novel, where it's positioned and, um, and your sense of it in, as a—in the genre, um, categories, if you will. Um, and I'll share with our listeners before you answer that English is not your first language—which is something we're going to talk about from a writing perspective, but just from a listening perspective, to give people some context for that. So let's talk about—let's talk about genre.Lidija HiljeYeah, well, genre is one of my favorite topics as a book coach, and so naturally it is something I love talking about. So the first book I ever wrote, which is now safely shelved in a drawer at the bottom of a drawer, was women's fiction. And the reason why it was women's fiction was that because I was learning how to write, I was learning how to weave a story together. And in doing so, I was trying to find some commonalities in stories—like how stories work, how you develop them, how you develop a character arc, how you wrap it up towards the end. And—but my intention always was to write literary. I was just not very good at doing it. And so I kind of—like all the feedback that I got throughout my—from developmental editors—it was like geared towards kind of channeling the book towards women's fiction. And this is something that really still strikes me as a book coach: how different it is to coach literary fiction as opposed to genre fiction, which is more formulaic. So basically, that first book is safely shelved. And when I started writing this book, I was working really hard at trying to make it not be formulaic. And actually, one of the book coaches from our community helped me. I had a conversation with Barbara Boyd where I outlined my story for her, and she said there was this moment where I kind of did something in my outline…what could basically be called a cop-out—so that… I killed a character, basically, so that the…you know, that the book would close neatly, right? And so she called me out on it and said—because I talked to her specifically because she coaches literary fiction but didn't like or coach women's fiction—and I thought that perspective was something I needed. And so she said, "Why are you killing that character?” And that was the wake-up moment for me, because that was the moment when I realized that in doing so, that was the typical moment where a writer kind of goes toward the genre. And where the interesting thing in the literary fiction genre lies is exploring, you know, what happens when you don't kill the character—when you don't take the easy way out. And so, genre-wise, what I, you know—I run a book club for writers, and we read a lot of literary fiction. And so, I was constantly trying to figure out, like, what is it about these books that, you know, define genre? And in studying these books, there are several things, and I could talk about this, I guess, for centuries, but I'll try to...Jennie NashI—I love it. Let's do it.Lidija HiljeSo basically, in literary fiction, there are many things that genre fiction also has. There are themes, there are character arcs—you know, a character might grow, though not necessarily. But basically, it's much less clear than in genre fiction. In genre fiction, for instance, you have—especially in women's fiction—you will have a woman who is shy and then she becomes confident toward the end. Or you have a horrible, you know, self-obsessed character who learns their lesson toward the end of the book. It's really clear-cut. The reader can latch on to what the problem is without thinking too much about it. And literary fiction does the opposite. It fans out a little bit. It touches on many different things that kind of seem unrelated, but they are related. And this is a problem in writing it, as well as coaching it, because as a coach or as a writer, you have to be aware of all these things. You have to beware of how these things tie together so that you have the idea of this through line that goes throughout the story, whereas the reader might not be catching on as fast but does have the confidence that you, as the writer, are going to get them there, if that makes sense.Jennie NashOh, it makes so much sense. So when you were working on—I actually remember reading some opening, maybe the opening chapters of the novel that has been shelved. When I read those pages, they struck me as if they had that feeling of literary fiction. Was that your intention with that novel as well?Lidija HiljeYes, it was. It was just that I was unable to... I came to writing late. I mean, I was always a writer in the sense that I was always writing something, but I came to writing fiction and specifically books very late. It was 2017 when I started writing that book in Croatian. And the first, you know, contact with any craft or writing happened in 2019 when I finished the draft and I translated that book into English, and I started looking for ways of pub... you know, publishing that book and realized that the first draft is not the last draft. Like that was the—like it was—sometimes it's so funny to think like how recently I didn't know anything about publishing or writing at all. So basically, I did want that book to be literary fiction. I always wanted to do, you know, to write the type of fiction that I wrote in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], and obviously I hope to, you know, hone my craft in the future, but it wasn't—it wasn't on that level. And the first developmental editor that I worked with in 2019, she was giving me all the logical advice that you can give someone, which is... hone the character arc you are telling here, show, you know, all those things that we tell our clients when we work with them as book coaches. But what it did is it completely stripped the literary part from it, and it made me write in scene, which is not how literary fiction is written. You know, like, one of the differences between commercial fiction and literary fiction is that you don't necessarily write in scenes. You write in summaries, and you write in postcards, which is the type of a scene that goes deeper instead of forward, if that makes sense. So you're not kind of—nothing changes for the protagonist, the protagonist doesn't realize anything, they don't decide on a new course of action, nothing new happens, but the reader's understanding of the character happens. And this is also true when you're looking at the character arc on the, you know, scope of the whole novel. Like in literary fiction, it will often be that, you know, that the character doesn't change much in terms of, like what I said before—she was shy and she stopped being shy, right? It will just be that the reader's understanding of the character deepens. And so my first book was an attempt at literary fiction, but it was not an execution. You know, the execution didn't really match that, and I feel like the advice that I got from my early developmental editor was just kind of trying to put me in the confines of commercial fiction. Which is... you know... understandable. You know, and I'm great— I'm even, like, today—I'm grateful for it because you first have to learn how to walk and then you can run, right? So I did have to go through the process of learning how to write a good scene, of learning how not to tell, of learning how to hide the seams that you—that you were talking about—you need to hide your fingerprints as a writer. And that was my learning book. I learned a lot from writing it, but by the time I was done with it, it was not—it didn't—it was not a bad book, and I got a lot of full requests for it, but it was not—it did not end up being what I had hoped for it.Jennie NashSo, in 2017, when you started that book, you said you came to writing late. Do you mind sharing where you were in your life, if you want to share your age or what you were doing in your life, just to give us some context for what you mean by that—by coming to it late?Lidija HiljeSo yeah, so 2017 was one of the hardest years in my life, I think. I think it's just the moment where I was around 35, I think. I would have to do the math, but mid-30s. And I had just been fired for the second time after my second maternity leave. And, you know jobs in my profession, which is—I was an attorney—were scarce, and I opened my own law firm. And I sat there in my law office, you know, a woman working as an attorney in Zadar, Croatia. It was not, you know, I was not having like flocks of clients, you know, going through the door. And you had to sit there from 8am to 4pm, which is our work time. And I had, um, ii had um... I started writing basically to pass the time. And I was writing just the scenes that I was interested in that, you know, brought me joy and then I, you know, wrote the intermittent scene, and the book grew and grew. And by the time I had finished it, which was a year and a half later, you know, it became... It just became a thing that I was—it took over it took over my whole life. I could not, you know and financially it was a difficult time for us as well. We had reached—my husband and I, like I said mid 30's—and we had kind of peaked career wise here in Croatia. So basically, what people don't understand about Croatia is that even if you're a brain surgeon, or if you're a lawyer, or if you're a programmer—like my husband—the money you make is not much more than the average wage. And so, you know, we were at the top of our game professionally, but not earning enough to make ends meet. And so we had started thinking about moving to Ireland basically, which is the, you know, IT hub for the... in Europe. And in thinking about it, I was sitting in my law office and I was basically crying my eyes out thinking if I go there, I'm going to be stripped of my identity as an attorney. I had been working toward that for basically 15, 20 years. And in trying to get over that pain of working towards something that in Ireland, it's not going to mean anything because, you know, the legal system is so very different and my use of language was not, you know, it's still not really good. Like professional English is not the same as this spoken English, you know, everyday English. And so, in kind of trying to accept that we are going to move and I'm going to be stripped of that identity as a lawyer, I was, in a way, you know, to make it easier for myself, I started accepting all the things that I didn't want to look at, which is I hated my job.Jennie NashRight, right.Lidija HiljeI loved being in a courtroom, like that was a good part of it. But everything else, you know, the intellectual part of it, like thinking about law, applying law to a certain case was interesting to me. But everything else was horrible. And so, once I accepted that, and my husband got a job, you know, like working for... as a freelancer for an outside company, and we could stay in Croatia, I was like, "And what am I going to do now? I can't go back to being a lawyer." And so, because his wage was a little bit more than, you know, for the first time, he could afford for me to go, you know, to take a year off and to see what I could do. And so, for a while, I interned at a foreign literary agency—that didn't go anywhere. Then I wrote, you know, a copy for a startup that didn't end up, you know, paying me. So that was kind of like—I was at the end of my rope by the, you know, toward the end of that year. And then I encountered the Author Accelerator program for book coaches, and I had during that year I had connected with writers and I have realized that basically the legal knowledge really translates beautifully into book coaching. So it was kind of like, you know, working on a story, or if you're working on a case, or working on a book, it's kind of a similar thing, similar logic applies. And so it was a… you—you know, it was, I know I'm mixing a little bit the books coaching and legal and, you know, writing careers...Jennie NashNo, it's fascinating.Lidija HiljeBut they are so intertwined in my life, yeah.Jennie NashI mean, it's fascinating the way that you trained yourself on story, basically. And I remember the conversation when you approached Author Accelerator, because you were nervous about being able to meet the requirements of our program because of your language—that English is not your first language. But I, I mean, we have a system whereby it's you try it, you know, if—if you'd meet the requirements, you meet them and if you don't, you don't. And it struck me that your grasp of story was so profound. That I didn't know... you know, it was one conversation about your grasp of the written language. But, um, you were... you were very nervous about your ability to do the work of book coaching in another language. And it's just interesting from where we sit now, so I want to circle back to the book itself and the novel and what you accomplished in it, because it really does have the thing that so many writers are always trying to do, and they talk about it—it is so elusive. Which is this capturing this feeling, emotion, letting the reader sit in the mirror of what those characters are feeling, and you feel it your own self, and that it, you know, when it, when it works, it's, it's like a magic trick. And it strikes me that you came at that very deliberately. It was not accidental. Is that fair to say? Would you believe that?Lidija HiljeI think I always wanted to write about... I always wanted to write quiet stories. And for quiet stories to work, you have to make the quiet things loud in a way. And the loud things are the emotions. And so yes, yes, it was always my goal. I was not always good at it... in writing emotion. But yeah, like during that process of writing that first book, I struggled with it a lot. I struggled with what I guess happens a lot of the time when we are writing is that we're trying very hard for the reader to see things the way we are seeing them. And this counter-intuitively causes the very reverse effect. You know the reader—is the more you're trying to make them listen to you, the more you're trying to, you know, impose your view of things on them, the more they resist. So the trick is basically, and I'll make it sound very easy, it's not easy at all to execute, but the trick is to kind of, you know, to try to find a way and to deliver that emotion without judgment. Like, this is what I'm feeling, or this is what my character is feeling. And not trying to explain it, not trying to get compassion, not trying to get the reader to feel anything. Like, you're just putting things out in the ether, and you're allowing the reader to do their own math. And this is something you can do in literary fiction, which is more open-ended, right? And the readers of genre fiction, I do need more hand-holding in that sense that they will not maybe work as hard as the literary reader. So yeah, I did work very hard. And, you know, the first book, the “shelved” book, really got to a point where I couldn't do that work anymore. But when I started Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea]… the literally... the first scene in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], came out the way it did. Like that's…Jennie NashOh wow!Lidija HiljeIt didn't change. We had this meeting of writing friends and one of them said, let's exchange, like, let's read 500 new words and I was not working on anything. I had been focusing on book coaching at that moment—that was 2021. And I went to the moment in that room when she is thinking about her ex-husband, you know, when the protagonist is thinking about her ex-husband, and it just came out the way it is. I don't think I changed basically more than three words since that scene came out the way it is. And so...Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. I want to... I want to read some of the lines from that opening scene, if I can, to give the readers... I mean the listeners a sense of what we're talking about. So here's how Slanting Towards the Sea begins.I open his socials and sift through his photos. I know their sequence like I know the palm of my hand. Better even, because I can never memorize what my palm looks like, how the life line twirls into the love line, how it begins tight and uniform, but then turns ropey. It scares me to look at it, to trace the lines, to see where they might lead me in years to come. But I know Vlaho's photos by heart.And it goes on from there. It's, it's just, it's so haunting. And, and the whole, the whole novel is, is that, has that feel to it. So when did you, when did you know that with this story you had it? You knew with the other one that you couldn't get it back, or that it wasn't going to happen. When did you begin? Was it after the sharing of that scene where you thought, oh, I've got this?Lidija HiljeI knew that I could write a scene, but there's a difference, you know, a postcard. I would call this a postcard. This is the typical example of a postcard, a scene where nothing changes for the protagonist and she doesn't understand anything new, but it kind of deepens the reader's understanding of, you know, her situation. So I knew I could write it, which is something I struggled with, with the first book, but I—there's a long road from doing one good postcard and then, you know, writing an entire book, which in literary fiction you have this additional, you know, challenge. You do a ratio basically of normal scenes and summaries, and postcards, and you have to maintain that ratio throughout the book. So, um, yeah for the... relatively early in the book I had submitted that first scene for some competitions. And I got great feedback. It won a critique match, writing a competition in the literary fiction category. And it was long listed in the BPA Pitch Prize in the UK. So I knew that... you know... you know... that the opening of the book was working. So that was good. But from then on, it was such a struggle, because you read the book, and so you know, it has dual timelines; it spans 20 years. I was struggling so bad trying to figure out whether I should do, you know, the past in flashbacks? Whether I should alternate timelines? How do I set this massive story up, which has, you know, the past, and, you know, the present, which happens over a span of... I don't know... five or six months in the present timeline. So I struggled with it a lot. But the thing that I struggled with the most was accountability. So basically, for the first year and a half—for the first year—I wrote, I think, maybe 150 pages. They were not very well set up. I was unsure of them, and I would always push the book backwards to work on client stories. And so what really changed the game for me was when I—I have this program that I run in summertime and one of our book coaches was in that program, Nita Collins. And after the program ended, we partnered up. And so she was my accountability—you know partner, as well as…you know, feedback giver and cheerleader and all the things. And so, you know, I still struggled with how to set up all the things and how to build up the narrative, which I think is really hard for people to coach literary fiction, because you can basically only offer solutions that are kind of geared towards tropey, right? So the author really does have to do all the work, in that sense, but she was absolutely instrumental in terms of me getting the pages down and just seeing if the pages hit the mark or didn't, why they didn't, you know, talking to her, just voicing, talking about the book. And so this went on for a year and within one year I had a full first draft and from then on it was a quick revising process and within three months I had three agent offers. So it was a fast process from then on, from having the first draft, to getting an agent.Jennie NashWell, big shout out to Nita Collins and the Author Accelerator community. I love that a connection happened for you guys. It's really beautiful the way you describe it. So can you explain why you decided it was time to go out to agents? With the first book you decided... this is not going to go anywhere. I'm putting it aside. And with this one, very soon after you finished the first draft, you decided to pitch. What was that decision-making process like for you?Lidija HiljeSo I want to be completely honest. I didn't shelve the first project because I thought it was not, I could not get it to a level. I was convinced that it was on a level, and I had pitched it, but I had been rejected over 100 times. So basically the industry decided for me that it wasn't going to happen. And one of the things that was really hard for me in that first book is that I set it in the US, which I've never been to the US. So it made it very difficult, but I felt like if I set the book in Croatia, I would, like the cultural perspective would overpower the quiet narrative. And I thought that I couldn't do it. And so I, you know, in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], this is the base of the book. Like, it's, you know, I've found a way to weave the cultural perspective as seamlessly as I could. But the pitching process—I basically... I had the first draft done when I had decided to pitch the book. It was a little bit—to be honest, I was a little bit hasty. I had applied for The Muse & the Marketplace conversation with agents. You could...Jennie NashLike the speed dating.Lidija HiljeYeah, like the speed dating. And so I purchased a few tickets for that. And this was done for two reasons. The first one was to, you know; give myself a goal to work towards—to kind of make it all go faster. And the second goal was to see how the industry looks at this. And if there are any issues that they have with the, you know, with the book or with how it's set up, I would rather know sooner than later. And so, because they were reading not just the pages—they were reading, like, 10 pages, a synopsis, and a query letter—which I would also wholeheartedly recommend writing during the writing phase. Preferably, you know, toward the end of the first draft, you would have to do the pitching materials, because they inform so much of... they make you really focus on what the book is about and kind of drawing out the themes and the plot and kind of parsing all those things out. So I told myself: if I go there, and if I get some, you know the best thing that could happen is I could get some full requests. The worst thing that could happen was they will tell me that I'm not there, that my writing is not there, and that the and/or that the book doesn't hold together. And so what happened is, I was... I had just finished my first draft, but I knew that the ending wasn't right. I had the wrong ending. So I knew I had to rewrite the last third of the book, at least. And I went on to that conference, and out of five agents I had talked to, four had requested a full manuscript—toward, like, when I had it. So it was a huge, you know, confidence builder, and that summer I really, really—I can't, it's really amazing what happened—I just, I was so energized, and I just, you know, I don't know, it's like a visit from the muse, even though it's just work. But it felt—I felt very inspired, and I completely rewrote the book, basically, and that gave it the ending that it needed to have, which was also one of the fights against the genre confinements which I had kind of put on myself. So yeah, so that was the decision that I should be doing that, and at the same time, I wanted to be, like, 100% sure that when I sent the manuscript out, it would be finished—that it would be the best that I can make it by myself, you know, and, you know, for Nita to read it, for a couple of beta readers that I've really trusted—and they have the same taste in books that I do—to read it. And only with that feedback was I really ready to send it out to agents.Jennie NashSo—the—we'll get to what happened with the agents in a minute. But I want to return to something that you said about the culture of Croatia and the role that it has in the story, and you called it foundational. And it really feels both the setting of the country, meaning the land, there's... there's a lot you write about, um, the sea, and the food that comes from the sea, and the winds that travel, um, both on the sea and on the land, and there's olive trees that play a large part in this story. So there is a lot about the country itself, and then there's, there is a lot about the, the culture and the, the changing bureaucracies and politics and things that are going on. And it's interesting that you spoke in your own life about contemplating leaving the country, because your characters at some key points, contemplate leaving as well. So there's—there was very much about the constraints of the world of this place, and that's part of what the, you know, it's interesting that you talk about it as your concern was that it would overwhelm the story, but it's part of, for me, what the container in which that emotion happened. It felt not separate from the story, but a really critical component of it. The way these characters lived on the land, and in this place, and what that allowed them to do,—or to be—or not be and how they bumped up against it. It was... It's really like you have a historian's grasp of that, your world, was that something you were conscious of while you were writing as well?Lidija HiljeYes. I was always worried about writing, you know, a Croatian perspective. Like that was always a big concern for me because I, you know, when you're looking at literature and what interests readers, it's either, you know, the book set in the UK and US, which is kind of the clear narrative, it doesn't, it's, it's a pervasive culture that we all understand when it kind of becomes invisible, or, you know, a background noise, it doesn't really affect the narrative. Whereas the other interesting things that readers, when they want to travel somewhere, they will want to go somewhere exotic, you know, whether it's Nigeria or, you know, Eastern Asia, Japan, China, you know? So it felt like Croatia is different, but not different enough, you know? And so it's, it's kind of like almost like it makes the reader constantly forget that they're in Croatia, while at the same time kind of jarring them when you remind them of the differences, and this was one of the, one of the, you know, key points of my work with Nita, was when she would just notice things like, what is, you know, what is the, why are there, there are no dividers in the hospital between the beds? And it's just like... and now I realize that I have to explain how our hospitals look like, and it's not like yours. Or the difference in the tides, which in America are, you know, over, over, I don't know how many feet, and in Croatia they're just, um, and we talked about it when you were here in Zadar as well. So it's just like, it's very similar to America, but not quite. And that was very frustrating at times to try to depict. But on the other hand, in writing Ivona, I wanted to, I feel, I have felt and still feel a lot of frustration with my country. I love it, but I have been planning, like there have been multiple, you know, periods in my life when I had hoped to leave, just because how frustrating it is to live here sometimes with the bureaucracy and just the way the mentality is here and everything. So basically in writing her story, I wanted to air out those grievances in a way. To give them voice, to examine them, to see what they are, and like everything, you know, it's not black or white, it's the way we are here, and it's also the way I am, you know. I notice this when I interact with people from other areas, and they say that us Croats and, you know, Balkan people are very, you know, always like, always complaining about something, which is true, we are. And so, yeah, so it's difficult. It's difficult because I wanted that to be a part of the story. And at the same time, you know, there, you know, there is the possibility of the American reader who doesn't see that it's a part of the culture here, basically. That they could look at Ivona, and say, you know, why does she just not snap out of it?Jennie NashHmm…Lidija HiljeAnd, you know, it's almost like saying to me to snap out of the issues that I had as I was like, trying, you know, like banging my head against the wall, trying to get my career going, and t's not working. Like whatever you're, you're trying—like it's easier for me to make it in the US, never having set a foot there, than in Croatia.Jennie NashRight.Lidija HiljeI mean, my book is being published in the US; it's still not being published in Croatia, just for the record. So it's really hard, and it's really hard to make that a part of the book, but not have it, like, weigh the book all the way down. So it was a process. It's like all the things you try and miss and, you know, sometimes you go overboard, and then you have to pull back, and you have to be careful not to go too deeply into your own experience and just feel that the character is separate from you, and obviously she has some different issues than I had and a different occupation, but a lot of her grievances are mine as well.Jennie NashWell, that yearning and, can… I guess confusion really does come across. The how will I, how will I live? How will I love? How will I spend my days? I mean, these are the questions of our life, and they're the questions of this character in—as she goes through what she's experiencing. That they're, they're both mundane questions and, and, you know, the most profound. And, and the way you capture it... I mean, that was just to circle back to my initial idea of talking about how to capture emotion on the page, you know, which is the work of a novel. That's what it's for. That's its point. And it's just so hard to do. And you just did it on so many levels in a language that's not your first. And it really is just extraordinary and moving. And in preparing to talk to you today, I read a lot of the early reviews—people who got advanced readers copies, 'cause the book comes out in July, 2025, and we're speaking a few months before that time. So it's not fully out in the world, but it's enough that, um, I can see that reaction rippling through the readers and, and certainly through the, um, professional, um, colleagues and, you know, who've blurbed the book. But this idea of it being—the word people kept using was “moving.” And there was a lot of words like “tender” and “haunting,” you know, people really felt what it sounds like you intended them to feel. So how, from where you sit now, how does that—how does it feel to have gotten that feedback from some of the writers you admire? And to know that it did… it works doing what you want it to do? How does that feel?Lidija HiljeOh, it's, it's impossible to talk about that because I guess I'm typically Croatian in the way that it's easier for me to sit in my failures than to sit in my successes. So it's absolutely incredible. I mean, when you get a blurb from Claire Lombardo, who is, you know, I absolutely adore her books and I think she's insanely talented, you know, and for her, you know, she used the words “humane,” and that really—I was so moved by that. So my… kind of my goal is for, for people to see the humanity in these, these characters. And so it's really, it's really amazing. It's, it's beyond, you know, some of the, you know, I got really great blurbs from authors I really, really deeply admire: Thao Thai, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Amy Lin, and Madeline Lucas, and as well, you know, Claire Lombardo, whom I mentioned. It's really incredible. It's so life affirming for me, you know, to be able to do that. But like I said, it's always, you know, when I'm reading the reviews, which I probably shouldn't be doing, I'm always focusing on the few that are not—just not feeling it. And then I have to remind myself it's not—this is not a book for anyone, for just everyone. And it's, you know, it's a journey. It's still, like you said, early days. I'm learning to be an author, to grow an even thicker skin in that sense. But yeah, it did feel great to get those beautiful reviews. And I'm so grateful to them for reading and donating their time to me.Jennie NashI mean, it's so not fair what I want to say. It's so not fair. But I want to ask anyway. Quite a few of the reviews said they can't wait for your next book, which, you know, it's like you're not a machine. You've just done this one. But are you thinking about that? Are you… do you have thoughts about that?Lidija HiljeYeah, I am trying to work on my new book. But, you know, I'm admiring the writers who put out a book a year. That's definitely not going to be me. There's an insane amount of work in putting the book out. You know, there's invisible work that goes behind the screen, you know, that people don't see, but it's happening and it takes up a lot of time. And there's also this emotional, you know, it's, it's—it's difficult sitting in, like… you're trying to make this your career. You wrote your heart on the paper and you're offering it to the world. And now you're suspended in this period when you put it out and you're waiting to see how it's received, whether someone tramples on it or whether it's upheld. And so it's a difficult, emotionally difficult place to be in, and I'm one of those writers who struggle to create when I'm not, you know, when I'm feeling… when I'm feeling stressed. So work on my second novel is going slowly. I've gotten to page 100, but then I realized it needed, you know, I needed to make some changes, so I'm back to page 30. So it's a, you know, it's a—it's a process. I think, you know, writing literary fiction takes time. It takes self-examination; it takes a lot of reading of other people who have done it successfully—the type of novel that you're trying to execute. So, so yeah, I'm trying to work on it, but, um, but it may, it may be a while.Jennie NashAll right. I know—that's why it wasn't fair to even ask. Um, so back to… I just want to pick up the story back to—you got the three or the four, um, agent requests, and you, you finished the novel, and, um, and you pitched to them. Can you just share what all unfolded? Because… it was pretty extraordinary.Lidija HiljeSo, basically, what happened was I didn't pitch all the four agents that had requested the pages. I had the first querying experience, which is what I said—you know 100 rejections. I took a long, hard look at it and realized that many of the time I was querying the wrong agents, genre-wise, which, you know, I was not aware of at the time. So a lot of those rejections were basically because I was querying a women's fiction book to literary agents. And that was one thing. And the other thing is… I was pretty, you know, unselective with whom I was querying the first time around. And the second time around, I was really intentional with the type of agent and their reputation and the connections within the industry—you know, just much more aware, approaching it much more professionally in terms of, you know, just wanting a good fit that would actually be able to do something for me, you know, to sell the book. And so a friend who had, you know, she had given me a referral to her agent—that didn't pan out. I gave that agent a month, an exclusive. And when that didn't pan out, I basically sent the query to my now agent, Abby Walters, at CAA. And, you know, it was a form on the website. I didn't even write her an email. It was just a form. So I didn't think that anyone would read it, basically. And I got—quickly I got like five or six requests, right out of the gate, those maybe first 10 days. And by the end of the second week I had gotten an offer of representation from Abby. And I followed up with the rest of the agents. The total, uh, the total number of, uh, full requests ended up being, I think, maybe nine out of 20, 25 queries. And, uh, I got three offers of representation, um, from fantastic agents. And, uh, deciding was hell. I was—I was—it was horrible to be in a position where you had to say no to an agent that you admire and that you would genuinely love to work with, but you know, for some reasons I chose Abby and I'm really happy with working with her. She's fantastic. I—I, you know, love her to death. And yeah, so that was the story of getting an agent. It was—it was—it was pretty quick and painless, I have to say, the second time around.Jennie NashRight, from 100 rejections with the first one to—to nine full requests and three offers on—on this one, that's an extraordinary swing, for sure. And I love the—the way that you approached it the second time with that intention. It just says everything about the kind of person and writer you are, and the book landed with Simon & Schuster and will be coming out soon, and I can't wait to share it with our listeners. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. I just—I cherished reading every page, and we had the really great good fortune of my taking a vacation to Croatia and coming to your town and meeting you and walking through the town with you, and I treasure that for so many reasons. But having read the book, I felt like I could taste it and see it in a really special way, having had a tour of your city with you. So that, for me, was just a special—a special part of it too.Lidija HiljeThank you so much, Jennie. But actually, you kind of were a part of that, because when I thought about the places where Ivona would take a seer to, you know, to see, I had our tour in my—you know, on my mind, because I was thinking, like, what would she show someone who's from another place? Like, where would she take him? And it wouldn't be the things I showed you. I mean, I showed you some of the big things that you have to see when you're here. But I took you to the places that are more intimate to me, like more personally important to me.Jennie NashYeah.Lidija HiljeAnd so this is—this is what's behind the scene where she shows him her school. And, you know, so, yeah… you know, real life.Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. That's amazing. Well, yeah, I did get to see where you went to school and where the law office was. And—and one of the things that's really stayed with me was we went to a bookstore and it… Um, and it—just knowing what your life in books has been, Lidija, and how you've studied them and how you've worked to become a writer of the caliber that you are. And that bookstore was so small, and it had mostly books in Croatian, and it was not anything like the kind of bookstore that one would think would spark a major literary career. And it… that just has stuck with me, because you—you made your own bookstore, right? You found your own literary community. You found your own career and way, and it's just been a joy to watch and to cheer you on. And thank you for coming and talking with us today.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me, and all the encouragement over the years. I'm really grateful for that as well.Jennie NashAll right, well, until next time, for our listeners—keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game. Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Proper winemaking takes humility. It takes a story. It takes risk. And I guess risk is relative. when you come from nothing or next to nothing and you plot a path and execute a path, that comes from and takes humility. Mike Grgich landed in Saint Helena with $32 dollars sewed in his shoe and landed in front of a faceless hotel. He wasn't sure at the point what to do next and certainly wasn't aware of what was to become of him. Sitting with Violet Grgich is in itself sitting with humility. Such a desirable trait in a human being. She immediately draws you in to her outlook on life; perhaps a piece of her fathers outlook. The Grgich name might conjure visions of Napa Valley legend, but Violet Grgich proves she's every bit as fascinating as the myth she continues. In this unforgettable conversation, you'll traverse the triumphant, tumultuous journey of her father, Mike Grgich—the man behind the “Judgment of Paris”—from a small, impoverished Croatian village to the heart of California winemaking, with $32 literally sewn into his shoe and ambition sewn into his soul. Violet unspools the invisible threads connecting generations: the hard-won wisdom passed from father to daughter, the unwavering commitment to tradition and authenticity, and the belief that the story in every bottle is as important as the wine itself. Along the way, you'll uncover why organic, regenerative farming isn't just a marketing phrase at Grgich Hills, but a living, breathing value system; how a winemaker's hands-off approach reveals complexity in the glass; and why, despite decades of technological advances, the heart of great wine remains thrillingly elemental. Violet's reflections on the emotional power of wine—its capacity to conjure memories, ignite conversation, and bind friends—will linger with you long after, as will her thoughts on the shifting tides of generations, changing tastes, and why she's certain that, in the end, every age group rediscovers honest wine. You'll step behind the cellar door to meet the people, the terroir, and even the family spirit that defines Grgich Hills—learning not only the story of a vineyard, but how wine, at its best, transforms a simple moment into something infinite. By the end, you'll know not just how Grgich wines are made, but why they matter, and why the real taste of wine is the taste of a hard-won, beautifully lived life.   Grgich Hills Estate (Violet Grgich's winery) https://www.grgich.com Napa Valley Vintners Association https://www.napavintners.com Apple Inc. (referenced as the employer of Paul K's daughter) https://www.apple.com Robert Mondavi Winery https://www.robertmondaviwinery.com Chateau Montelena https://www.montelena.com Hills Bros. Coffee (referenced due to Austin Hills) https://www.hillsbros.com St. Helena Hotel (historical mention, no current operational website found) Pepperdine University (Violet's MBA alma mater) https://www.pepperdine.edu   #WineTalks #podcast #NapaValley #VioletGrgich #PaulK #GrgichHills #JudgmentofParis #winemaking #winehistory #organicfarming #regenerativeagriculture #wineemotion #immigrantstories #familylegacy #Chardonnay #CabernetSauvignon #wineinnovation #naturalwine #wineeducation #winebusiness #wineryexperiences

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