ZIYP: The book ‘The Goldsmith’s Treasure’ by August Šenoa is the first Croatian historical novel. How did you come up with the idea of translating this novel into English and about turning it into a souvenir of the city of Zagreb?
Andrija: For a number of years I have been working in management and dealing with sales, marketing and publishing; however, as time passed I had got tired of such work and felt the need to launch something of my own. I simply decided to do something that would make me happy and give me fulfilment. The idea of using our rich Croatian heritage had caught my eye, to revive something that has been forgotten and turn it into a souvenir of Zagreb, which, in addition to being a memory of the city (and country) visited, would also have useful value. I for one did not even know exactly how to achieve such until the inspiration suddenly came. As it happened, it was the flame of the burning candles at the city’s Stone Gate that had sparked the idea of translating ‘The Goldsmith's Treasure’ into the English language. I thought to myself, there is no story that represents Zagreb more than this novel, and that foreigners, especially tourists visiting Zagreb, deserve to learn more about and take home with them.

ZIYP: For our international readers who are just becoming acquainted to the book ‘The Goldsmith’s Treasure’ for the first time, can you briefly tell us more about its storyline and which locations in the city are mentioned and can be visited even today?
Andrija: This is a story about forbidden love between a goldsmith's daughter and a nobleman’s son which takes place in Zagreb's historical streets and squares back in the sixteenth century. It is filled with love and passion, scheme and intrigue; vibrant characters juxtapose from the moral and noble to the conspirators and murderers. It portrays the way of life of nobles and citizens, their conflicts and customs of the time.
The storyline takes place in the Upper Town (better known as ‘Gradec’ back then) as well as Kaptol, the Stone Gate, Manduševac (Ban Jelačić Square), Medvedgrad ... but also the nearby town of Samobor.

ZIYP: Croatian designers have also been working on this project, therefore even lovers of design can take home a souvenir that will remind them of Zagreb?
Andrija: Tomislav-Jurica Kačunić and Ivana Vučić from Hamper Studio take credit for the graphic design and have successfully combined traditional and contemporary, decorative and minimalist, rustic and elegant elements. The symbols which were hidden in the first letter of the name of (Au)gust Šenoa, ‘engraved in a gold pole’ on the cover of the book, discreetly discover the world of Šenoa's ‘golden fever’ and entice the pursuit for more gold to be found in the novel itself. A clear and straightforward text font allows the user to functionally read the novel and to simultaneously parse the comments and explanations that facilitate understanding of the text as well as Latin and archaic Croatian words.
Although the novel ‘The Goldsmith’s Treasure’ is already a symbol of the city of Zagreb and its history, such directed visual communication promotes its social and cultural value, elevating it into being the souvenir of both Zagreb and Croatia as a whole. 

ZIYP: Where can the English version of the book be found?
Andrija: The book is sold at around sixty stores, from bookstores in Croatia to Croatian design shops, souvenir shops, museums, hotels ... Mostly in the city centre and at the airport. A list of all stores can be found at www.facebook.com/thegoldsmithstreasure.

ZIYP: Are there any plans to translate other books by other Croatian authors into English?
Andrija: We have numerous ideas that are still just ideas and therefore I do not want to disclose them yet, but what I can proudly announce is that a picture book of ‘The Goldsmith's Treasure’ is intended for young readers and is being prepared as we speak. For the first time, the story of the novel will be re-told for children and revived with superb illustrations by Zdenko Bašić. We believe that children will love it and that it will quickly get under their skin.