Milan Milišic
Encyclopedia
Milan Milišić was a poet
and playwright
from the former Yugoslavia
(today's Croatia
) of Yugoslavian
ethnicity. He wrote several volumes of poetry and translated, among others, J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Hobbit
, the poems of Robert Frost
, and Ted Hughes
into the Serbo-Croatian language
.
Milišić was born to a Bosnian
Serb father and Montenegrin mother in Dubrovnik
, Croatia
. He studied in Dubrovnik and has graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology
. From 1966 to 1976, he was married to a Briton
, Mary Martin, with whom he translated The Hobbit. He had two sons, Oleg Milišić, a press secretary
for the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
, and Roman Milišić. He later married artist Jelena Trpković. His close friends included writers Danilo Kiš
, Zoran Stanojević, and Predrag Čudić. He was a member of the Croatian Writers Society and P.E.N.
Milišić lived almost his entire life under communism
. He never aligned himself to any political or ethnic agenda but stood trial in 1985, and had his passport revoked by the Yugoslav regime, for writings that were perceived as anti-communist. After its return he was able to travel to the United States as a poet-in-residence at New York University
and Amherst College
.
Milišić died 5 October 1991, when a JNA shell struck his kitchen in the first days of the Siege of Dubrovnik
. He was among the first civilian casualties of the siege. His poetry and travel writing, some previously unpublished, some repackaged, has continued to be published in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, and Serbia
, since his death.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
from the former Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
(today's Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) of Yugoslavian
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
ethnicity. He wrote several volumes of poetry and translated, among others, J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, the poems of Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
, and Ted Hughes
Ted Hughes
Edward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
into the Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
.
Milišić was born to a Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
Serb father and Montenegrin mother in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. He studied in Dubrovnik and has graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology
The Faculty of Philology is one of the constituent schools of the University of Belgrade. The school's purpose is to train and educate its students in the academic study or practice in linguistics and philology.-History:...
. From 1966 to 1976, he was married to a Briton
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, Mary Martin, with whom he translated The Hobbit. He had two sons, Oleg Milišić, a press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
, and Roman Milišić. He later married artist Jelena Trpković. His close friends included writers Danilo Kiš
Danilo Kiš
Danilo Kiš was a Yugoslavian novelist, short story writer and poet who wrote in Serbo-Croatian. Kiš was influenced by Bruno Schulz, Vladimir Nabokov, Jorge Luis Borges and Ivo Andrić, among other authors...
, Zoran Stanojević, and Predrag Čudić. He was a member of the Croatian Writers Society and P.E.N.
Milišić lived almost his entire life under communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. He never aligned himself to any political or ethnic agenda but stood trial in 1985, and had his passport revoked by the Yugoslav regime, for writings that were perceived as anti-communist. After its return he was able to travel to the United States as a poet-in-residence at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Milišić died 5 October 1991, when a JNA shell struck his kitchen in the first days of the Siege of Dubrovnik
Siege of Dubrovnik
The Siege of Dubrovnik is a term marking the battle and siege of the city of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area in Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence. Yugoslav People's Army invaded the Dubrovnik area in October 1991 from Montenegro, Bosnia and even parts of Croatia, surrounding...
. He was among the first civilian casualties of the siege. His poetry and travel writing, some previously unpublished, some repackaged, has continued to be published in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, since his death.
Works
- Volele su me dve sestre, skupa (1970)
- Koga nema (1972)
- Hobit (translator, 1975)
- Zivjela nasa udovica (1977)
- Zgrad (1977)
- Having A Good Time (1981)
- Macka na smecu (1984)
- Tumaralo (1985)
- Vrt bez dobi (1986)
- Macka na smecu (1987)
- Stains (Croatia, 1993)
- Treperenje (Croatia, 1994)
- Nastrana vrana (Gr, 1996)
- Stvaranje Dubrovnik (Bosnia, 1996)
- Robert Frost, Selected Poems (Belgrade, 1996)
- Treperenje (Serbia, 1997)
- Mrtvo zvono (Croatia, 1997)
- Otoci (Croatia, 1997)
- Putopisi (Bosnia, 1997)
- Hommage Milišiću (Serbia, 2005)
- Dubrovacka zrcala (Croatia, 2007)
Sources
- Milan Milišić - informacije o autoru, Meandar Media, in CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
- Milan Milišić, Geopoetika, in SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....