Vidosav Stevanović

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Vidosav Stevanovic

(b. June 27, 1942 – in Kragujevac, Yugoslavia, now Serbia)

Vidosav Stevanovic is an accomplished author of over 20 books of fiction and non fiction. His books have been published worldwide and translated into numerous languages. Stevanovic is a frequent contributor to many major European news publications including Le Monde, Liberation, and Le Nouvel Observateur.

Stevanovic is the recipient of several international literary awards including the NIN Prize for his novel “Testament” in 1986, the Ivo Andric Award in 1985 for his short stories. He has also been awarded the Chevalier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s top literary honor, in 1996 for his body of work.

Over the past 40 years Stevanovic has spent most of his time living between his native Serbia and Paris, France. Because of his outspoken criticism of the war in Yugoslavia during the 1990’s, he lived in exile in France for 15 years, where he was granted political asylum.

BACKGROUND Vidosav Stevanovic completed secondary school in Kragujevac in 1961. He attended Belgrade University, where he began study in dental medicine. However, his interest in history, philosophy and literature led him to discontinue his university studies in order to begin a career in writing. Stevanovic went on to publish his novels and short stories, while building a successful professional career in literary publishing during the 1970’s and ‘80’s. During this time he was an editor and later editor-in-chief of Provesta, and BigZ, two of Yugoslavia's largest publishing houses. He also served as Managing Director of Radio Television Company Kragujevac, the first "free" media in Serbia, from 1996 to 1997. Stevanovic was also a founder of several literary magazines and organizations, including Knjizevna and Independent Writers of Yugoslavia.

SELECTED PUBLISHED WORKS

Testament, (Prosveta, 1986)

Les Loulous de Banlieu (nouvelles, L’Age d’homme ,1981)

The Snow and the Dogs (La Niege et les Chiens) (Belfond, 1993)

Christopher at the Dogs (Christos et les Chiens) (Belfond, 1993)

Prelude to War (Prelude de la Geurre) (Mercure de France, 1996)

The Same Thing(La Meme Chose)(Mercure de France, 1999.) Milosevic, The People’s Tyrant (Fayard, Paris, 2000)

Voltaire 222 (Compa’act, 2000)

Abel and Lise (Abel et Lise) (L’Esprit des peninsules, 2003)

AWARDS & AFFILIATIONS Ivo Andric Award (Yugoslavian, later Serbian literary award), 1985, for his short stories

NIN Prize (Serbian literary award), 1986, for his novel Testament

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, 1996, top literary honor from French government, for his body of work