PUBLISHING

 

           Scientific and other sources regarding publishing development are poorer then the rest of the activities, which are directly or indirectly connected with the popularization of the book and the literary thought. Anyway, if we are seeking the tracks of Bitola publishing we have to look in the beginnings of Slavic literacy, although certain literary tradition already existed before that. Looking for the historical sources of publishing, we have the impression that publishing sometimes did not get the deserving attention, in sense of notifying the basic data about publishing of the literary work, which makes tracing of its creation process difficult to follow and finding the way to the ones it was attended to. Of course this was not an obstacle for writing the book, rewriting or printing it. The reasons because of which more precise data about publishers were not given in the past centuries must have been numerous, and looking at them from contemporary conditions one can only make guesses about them.

        The town’s true development of modern publishing can be traced in the second half of 19th century. This was especially the case when the textbooks for school, missions were published. Usually the foreign propaganda (political, religious, educational, cultural) did not miss the opportunity to point out who stands behind publishing of a certain work. This attitude towards publishing activity gains on strength between two world wars. Major bearers of the publications, despite the church, were schools, different humanitarian organizations, societies, groups, bookshops, consulates, craft associations, renown firms and individuals. If we do not take into consideration everything that was made for political and propaganda purposes by the authorities in that time, which was of enormous quantity, the literary works published in the area of real science, belletristic, linguistic, art etc. all have their own place in the cultural history development of this town.

           Rapidly accelerated pace of the publishing activity happened after the liberation, when Macedonian language become official, and shortly after that it was promoted as literary language. That places Bitola publishing on new quality basis that resulted in publishing of numerous books, newspapers, magazines etc. City’s first publicist was AGITPROP, which had a special Commission that took care of the popularization of the book, and written word in general. In the first years after the second world war (1944-1950), mostly translations of political literature were published, and less of belletristic. That was the time when the first poetical and other works in Macedonian appear. After the liberation the first newspapers and magazines give their own contribution in the development of publication and wider in the filed of culture. In the period from 1944 to 1964 they are more numerous: “Pelagonija”, “Bratstvo”, “Bitolski mugri”, “Izgrev”, “Pelister” and this is one more confirmation of the rapid development of printing activity.

       Its more accelerated development commenced in the end of the 70s, and some of the publishing projects had started before that. Among the first publishers in this period was The Society for Science and Art and its magazine “Prilozi”(1960). In their almost four decades long existence, this scientific association has realized voluminous publishing production in Bitola, which continues almost with the same  speed until today. Through deferent forms of cooperation and the magazine “Prilozi”, which can be found in numerous world and domestic libraries, the association realizes different contacts an that is of interest for Bitola’s science and culture.

               At the end of 1969 one more city publisher attracted the attention with its longer notable production, and that is the published activity of “Bitolski vesnik”. In the following years this activity had several transformations. First it was called “Razvitok” and when Bitola’s publishing activity was founded, BPA(Bitola’s Published Activity) “Misirkov” it became its constituent part and it was where the synonymous, the most prominent magazine “Razvitok” was published which has been printed during the last three decades of this century in Bitola. At one point of time youth magazine for literature and art” Za” appeared only two editions from which were published.  The establishment of “Misirkov” (1985) meant very much for the local publishing work from which over 200 titles, mainly artistic literature, were produced. Unfortunately, after only ten years of working, this only publisher from the inside the country was terminated.

             Despite the significant changes that occurred in this activity, in the last ten years notable development has been evident in this field. Wider liberalization of the legal bases enables numerous state subjects, as well as individuals, to become publishers. Here we primarily think of publishing activity of Bitola’s University, literary club “Stale Popov”, schools, University Library, Archive, Museum, National Theatre, and some other cultural organizations and associations, commerce forms etc.

            During the last half of the previous century, literary and other authors: Konstantin Popovski, Dushko Hr. Konstantinov, Svetozar Tasevski, Kiril Makedonski, Sasho Ognenovski gave and still are giving contribution with their own editions.

           Although Bitola’s journalism is not an issue of observation in this text, when we talk about Bitola’s cultural conditions, it can not but mention the contribution that  media (written or electronic) “Bitolski vesnik”, Radio-Bitola, correspondence for state and other media; as well as private media: Radio 2M hertz, Radio 105, Radio 106, Television “Tera”, Television “Orbis” etc. are giving to the popularization of the cultural values in the town. Their audio and video stories supplement the wide range of publishing in Bitola.