Olja Savičević

Olja Savičević Ivančević (born 1974 in Split) is a Croatian novelist, poet and playwright.[1] She is a winner of the Grand Prize of the Druga prikazna Macedonian Literary Festival (2018), the T-Portal Award for Best Novel (2011), and the Mali Marulić prize for theatre (2013, 2014).[2]

Life and career

Olja Savičević was born on 16 September 1974 in Split, Yugoslavia. She obtained a bachelor's degree in linguistics and literary criticism from the University of Zadar.[3] She then worked as a freelance writer for online publications, and as a teacher.[4]

Savičević began her literary career with poetry, publishing a collection Biti će strašno kada ja porastem in 1988. This was followed by Vječna djeca (1993) and Žensko pismo (1999). A short story collection, Nasmijati psa, came out in 2006. Her first novel, Adio kauboju was published in 2010.[4] Its translation into several languages was received with acclaim.[5][6] Another novel, Pjevač u noći, came out in 2016.

Savičević received the Ranko Marinkovic award for the best short story in 2007.[3] Adio kauboju won the T-Portal award for Croatian novel of the year 2011.[4]

Savičević has also written and adapted dramas for children. Her dramatisation of Čudnovate zgode Šegrta Hlapića won the Mali Marulić award in 2013.[7]

In 2017, Savičević has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.[8]

Selected works

Novels

  • Adio kauboju [Farewell, Cowboy]. Translated by Celia Hawkesworth. Istros. 2015. ISBN 978-1908236487.
  • Pjevač u noći. Sandorf. 2016. ISBN 978-9537715922.

Poetry

  • Bit će strašno kada ja porastem. 1988.
  • Žensko pismo. 1999.
  • Mamasafari. Translated by Andrea Jurjević. Lavender Ink. 2018. ISBN 978-1944884383.

Short stories

  • Nasmijati psa [To Make a Dog Laugh]. 2006.

References

  1. ^ Eileen Battersby (5 April 2015). "Farewell Cowboy, by Olja Savičević: a beautiful, subversively appealing novel". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. ^ M.P. (14 September 2015). "Priče Olje Savičević Ivančević dostupne na internetu". Tportal (in Croatian). Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Olja Savičević". Literature Across Frontiers. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Olja Savičević Ivančević". Sandorf. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  5. ^ Kapka Kassabova (9 May 2015). "Farewell, Cowboy by Olja Savičević review – coming of age in small-town Croatia". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  6. ^ Cristina Battocletti (13 November 2017). "Giusta distanza mai". Il Sole 24 Ore (in Italian). Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Olji Savičević Ivančević nagrada Mali Marulić" (in Croatian). Croatian Writers' Society. 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  8. ^ Derk, Denis (28 March 2017). "Donosi se Deklaracija o zajedničkom jeziku Hrvata, Srba, Bošnjaka i Crnogoraca" [A Declaration on the Common Language of Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins is About to Appear]. Večernji List (in Serbo-Croatian). Zagreb: Večernji list. pp. 6–7. ISSN 0350-5006. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2019.