Today, I’m talking to Kristin Vukovic and Jo Piazza, who are co-instructors of the Adriatic Writers Conference that takes place on the island of Lošinj in Croatia’s Kvarner Bay. Jo finished her most recent novel during the conference, titled THE PARISIAN HEIST which will be released on Bastille Day, and Kristin, who founded the conference, got her inspiration there for her debut, THE CHEESEMAKER’S DAUGHTER. We’ll be talking about the importance of setting in fiction and how to navigate a country’s complex history if your reader might not share it.

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Join us for Kristin’s reading at Belmont Books, January 15.

And for more info about the Adriatic Writer’s Conference, click here.

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To find Vukovic’s and Piazza’s latest books as well as many other books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page.

Kristin Vuković’s award-winning debut novel, THE CHEESEMAKER’S DAUGHTER, was published in August 2024. She is the founder of Adriatic Writers Conference—the first literary conference of its kind in Croatia—and has written travel and lifestyle articles for the New York Times, BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure, Virtuoso, Robb Report, AFAR, Fodor’s, and Public Books, among others. She received the 2024 Rising Star Award in Arts and Culture from the Association of Croatian American Professionals, and two Golden Pen awards for her writing about Croatia from the Croatian National Tourist Board, most recently in May 2024. She was also named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation. She holds a BA and MFA from Columbia University and lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Jo Piazza is a bestselling author, journalist, and podcast host whose work explores ambition, identity, and modern womanhood. She is the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Under the Influence, which examines influencer culture, media, and how the internet shapes our ideas about success, beauty, and belonging. Jo is the author of multiple bestselling books, including Everyone Is Lying to You, The Sicilian Inheritance, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, and How to Be Married, blending sharp cultural insight with propulsive storytelling. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Elle, and more.

Photo by Kat von Wood on Unsplash

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Kristin Vukovic & Jo Piazza: The Complexities of Place