Tatjana Lukić
Encyclopedia
Tatjana Lukić was a Croatia born Australian poetry editor
and poet
.
and sociology
from Sarajevo
University, and lived in Bosnia, Croatia
, Serbia
and the Czech Republic
before leaving the region during the Balkan wars
in Croatia and Bosnia. In 1992 she arrived, with her young family, as a refugee in Australia. She did not speak English, but learned the language, studied and worked.
Prior to her move to Australia, Lukić had published poetry books throughout former Yugoslavia, and won national poetry awards. In recent years she started to write again, now in English. Her English poems have appeared in international literary journals, such as Gangway
, SubtleTea
, and Versal
. In 2005 she was guest editor of Gangway #36 - Home and Homecoming.
Lukić lived in Canberra with her daughter Jelena, when cancer ended her life in 2008. Laurie Duggan
wrote about her poetry: "these poems written in their author's second language have a certainty about them that belies the difficulties Lukić must have encountered at all stages of her writing life. They are tough, tender, resilient. It is so much more than a great pity that her first book in English should also be her last."
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
and poet
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...
.
Life
Tatjana Lukić was born in the former Yugoslavia (Croatia) where she spent her first 33 years. She received degrees in philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
University, and lived in Bosnia, 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 ...
, 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...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
before leaving the region during the Balkan wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in Croatia and Bosnia. In 1992 she arrived, with her young family, as a refugee in Australia. She did not speak English, but learned the language, studied and worked.
Prior to her move to Australia, Lukić had published poetry books throughout former Yugoslavia, and won national poetry awards. In recent years she started to write again, now in English. Her English poems have appeared in international literary journals, such as Gangway
Gangway (magazine)
Gangway is an international online literary magazine, bridging Austria and Australia. Its founder and editor in chief is Gerald Ganglbauer, the first issue was launched in June 1996 in Sydney.- Profile :...
, SubtleTea
SubtleTea
SubtleTea is a Pittsburgh-based online art journal primarily focusing on the written word, including artist interviews, fiction, poetry, essays, book/CD/film reviews, visual art, links, and resources...
, and Versal
Versal literary journal
Versal is an English-language literary journal that publishes poetry, prose and art. It was founded in 2002 by American poet Megan M. Garr and is published by wordsinhere, a literary organization in Amsterdam, the Netherlands...
. In 2005 she was guest editor of Gangway #36 - Home and Homecoming.
Lukić lived in Canberra with her daughter Jelena, when cancer ended her life in 2008. Laurie Duggan
Laurie Duggan
Laurence "Laurie" James Duggan is an Australian poet, editor, and translator.-Life:Laurie Duggan was born in Melbourne and attended Monash University, where his friends included the poets Alan Wearne and John A. Scott. Both he and Scott won the Monash Poetry Prize...
wrote about her poetry: "these poems written in their author's second language have a certainty about them that belies the difficulties Lukić must have encountered at all stages of her writing life. They are tough, tender, resilient. It is so much more than a great pity that her first book in English should also be her last."
Serbo-Croatian
- Povijedanje začetak poja, Matica srpska, Novi Sad, 1980.
- Šta šutim (What I am silent about), Svjetlost, Sarajevo, 1984.
- Izbor (Choice), Mali katalog poezije, Osijek, 1985.
- Saslusanje (Hearing), Nolit, Belgrade, 1988.
English
- Vertigo, in: Passages Through Parenthood, edited by Anne Godfrey, Lothian Books, 2000.
- la, la, la, 5 Islands Press, 2009.
External links
- Pam Brown: the deletions, blog
- 5 Islands Press, publisher's website
- Strong Slavic Accent, prose and poetry