{"id":2221,"date":"2025-12-17T22:28:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/?p=2221"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:46:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T10:46:27","slug":"neven-kepeski-editor-visionary-and-croatian-publisher-of-the-black-oath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/news\/neven-kepeski-editor-visionary-and-croatian-publisher-of-the-black-oath\/","title":{"rendered":"Neven Kepeski \u2013 editor, visionary, and Croatian publisher of \u201cThe Black Oath\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">Collaboration with a publisher is always more than a formal arrangement \u2014 it is a meeting of two visions, two worlds that recognize themselves within the same story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">In the case of the novel Vrata Iskupljenja ( The Black Oath), that collaboration found its ideal home in the publishing house Media Bar d.o.o. and its founder, long-time media professional and editor, Neven Kepeski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">Neven Kepeski is one of those names spoken in Croatian publishing with a natural sense of respect. As a journalist, editor, and media author, he has spent years shaping cultural and media content, while through Media Bar he has distinguished himself as a man with a finely tuned instinct for stories with weight, atmosphere, and resonance. What sets him apart is not only his professional experience but his ability to recognize an authentic voice \u2014 whether it emerges from classic literature, contemporary prose, or biographical writing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"612\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1036\" style=\"width:200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski.jpg 612w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-184x300.jpg 184w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-257x420.jpg 257w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-150x245.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-300x490.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">Under his editorial and publishing guidance, Media Bar has released works by prominent Croatian and international authors, including titles such as Theatre, by W. Somerset Maugham, Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke, Think Like an Artist by Will Gompertz, Oliver \u2013 A Trace in Eternity by Zlatko Gall, and From Underground Zagreb by Ivan \u0160ibl. Each of these books carries the unmistakable stamp of his editorial aesthetic \u2014 a blend of quality, authenticity, and clear artistic value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">Within this context, the decision for Media Bar to publish the trilogy \u00a0( Vrata Iskupljenja) &#8211; The Black Oath \u2013 The Secret Order \u2013 The Last Relic was not only professionally sound, but almost inevitable. From his very first encounter with the manuscript, Kepeski recognized the strength of this historical tale from 1796 \u2014 its documentary depth, emotional density, and the atmosphere of Istria, a region that lives suspended between history and enchantment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">His editorial approach is marked by patience, deep respect for the author\u2019s voice, and a commitment to presenting the book at a level worthy of its significance. Through this collaboration, the novel reached its final form \u2014 precise, refined, and true to the era it evokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">For the author, Katja Restovi\u0107, working with Neven Kepeski represents more than publishing; it is a confirmation that stories can be recognized, understood, and supported in a place where artistic courage and cultural value are genuinely appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"max-width:600px\">For the novel, it means entering the literary world through the doors of a strong, dedicated, and professional publishing house. And for the towns and histories preserved within the trilogy \u2014 it means their voices, landscapes, and legends will remain recorded and accessible to generations of readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"897\" height=\"1000\" data-id=\"1038\" src=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1038\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4.jpg 897w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-269x300.jpg 269w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-768x856.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-377x420.jpg 377w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-150x167.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-300x334.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski-4-696x776.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"981\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"1039\" src=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-981x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1039\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-981x1024.jpg 981w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-287x300.jpg 287w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-768x802.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-402x420.jpg 402w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-150x157.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-300x313.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1-696x727.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 981px) 100vw, 981px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"658\" data-id=\"1037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1037\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3-768x505.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3-638x420.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neven-Kepeski3-696x458.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Collaboration with a publisher is always more than a formal arrangement \u2014 it is a meeting of two visions, two worlds that recognize themselves within the same story. In the case of the novel Vrata Iskupljenja ( The Black Oath), that collaboration found its ideal home in the publishing house Media Bar d.o.o. and its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,72],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2221","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-new-book"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4435,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions\/4435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katjarestovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}