Whiting Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 13 (1997) Winner
Josip Novakovich
ヨシップ・ノヴァコヴィッチ
Josip Novakovich
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1956-09-22 （Daruvar, Yugoslavia）
- Nationality
- Croatian, Canadian
- Languages
- Croatian, English
- Residence History
- Daruvar (birthplace) → United States (immigrated) → Canada (Montreal; taught at Concordia University)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, novelist, short story writer, essayist, writing instructor, university professor
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- Nebraska Indian Community College, Bard College, Moorhead State University, Antioch University Los Angeles, University of Cincinnati (creative writing), Pennsylvania State University, University of Tampa, Concordia University (Quebec)
- Nominations
- Man Booker International Prize (2013, finalist), Scotiabank Giller Prize (2017, longlisted)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Novi Sad | Faculty of Medicine | — | — | — | Yugoslavia (now Serbia) |
| Vassar College | — | — | A.B. | — | United States |
| Yale Divinity School | — | — | M.Div. | — | United States |
| University of Texas, Austin | — | — | M.A. | — | United States |
University of Novi Sad
Faculty of Medicine
Country:
Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Studied medicine; left Yugoslavia to avoid military service
Vassar College
Degree:
A.B.
Country:
United States
Earned A.B. degree
Yale Divinity School
Degree:
M.Div.
Country:
United States
Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
University of Texas, Austin
Degree:
M.A.
Country:
United States
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Whiting Award | — | — | The Whiting Foundation | recipient |
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | recipient |
| — | National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | recipient (two fellowships) |
| — | Ingram Merrill Foundation Award | — | — | Ingram Merrill Foundation | recipient |
| — | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | recipient |
| 2013 | Man Booker International Prize (finalist) | — | — | The Man Booker Prize | finalist |
| 2017 | Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted) | Tumbleweed | — | Scotiabank Giller Prize | longlisted |
| — | Pushcart Prize (anthologized) | — | — | Pushcart Prize | anthologized (three times) |
| — | O. Henry Prize (anthologized) | — | — | O. Henry Award | anthologized |
Whiting Award
1997
Organization:
The Whiting Foundation
Result:
recipient
Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
recipient
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
recipient (two fellowships)
Ingram Merrill Foundation Award
Organization:
Ingram Merrill Foundation
Result:
recipient
American Book Award
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
recipient
Man Booker International Prize (finalist)
2013
Organization:
The Man Booker Prize
Result:
finalist
Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted)
2017
Work:
Tumbleweed
Organization:
Scotiabank Giller Prize
Result:
longlisted
Pushcart Prize (anthologized)
Organization:
Pushcart Prize
Result:
anthologized (three times)
O. Henry Prize (anthologized)
Organization:
O. Henry Award
Result:
anthologized
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (1999) Winner
Works
Major Works
Yolk
1995 Short storiesA collection of short stories exploring immigration, memory and identity, marked by a mix of dark humor and pathos.
immigrationmemoryidentityeffects of war
Salvation and Other Disasters
1998 Short storiesShort stories dealing with family, nation and personal loss; serious themes run beneath a wry humor.
lossfamilyidentity
April Fool's Day: A Novel
2004 NovelA novel where personal history intersects with historical events; combines humor and tragedy.
historypersonal historymemory
Infidelities: Stories of War and Lust
2005 Short storiesStories about the impact of war and ruptures in human relationships; themes include violence, desire and guilt.
wardesiresin and redemption
Tumbleweed
2017 Short storiesA collection of stories about immigrant and marginal lives where past and present collide; longlisted for a Canadian prize.
marginal livesimmigrant experienceloss
Apricots from Chernobyl
1995 EssaysAn essay collection weaving personal experience and regional history, focusing on homeland and memory.
homelandmemoryhistory
Plum Brandy: Croatian Journeys
2003 Essays / TravelTravel essays through Croatia describing food, customs and personal recollections to portray the country and its people.
localityfood culturememory
Three Deaths
2010 EssaysAn essay collection on mourning and death, blending personal experience with universal questions.
deathmourningfamily
Shopping for a Better Country
2012 EssaysEssays reflecting on immigration and cultural comparisons to consider contemporary society.
immigrationcultural comparisonsocial critique
Fiction Writer's Workshop
1995 Writing instructionA practical guide to fiction writing techniques.
craftworkshop
Writing Fiction Step by Step
1998 Writing instructionA practical how-to guide explaining stages of story creation for beginners.
writing processbeginner instruction
Bibliography
- Yolk
- Salvation and Other Disasters
- April Fool's Day: A Novel
- Infidelities: Stories of War and Lust
- Tumbleweed
- Apricots from Chernobyl
- Plum Brandy: Croatian Journeys
- Three Deaths
- Shopping for a Better Country
- Fiction Writer's Workshop
- Writing Fiction Step by Step
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- clear, economical prosedarkly comic ironynarration blending personal experience with historical context
- Recurring Motifs
- migration and exileloss and memoryfood and nostalgia (apricots, plum brandy)death and atonement
Legacy
Novakovich is respected for his short stories and essays informed by immigrant experience and Eastern European history, making a notable contribution to American and Canadian letters. His mix of humor and pathos is distinctive; he has received multiple awards and fellowships.
Quotes
-
Kirkus Reviews called Novakovich "the best American short stories writer of the decade."
Source: Kirkus Reviews
Trivia
- Left Yugoslavia at age 20 to avoid military service and emigrated to the United States.
- Anthologized in Best American Poetry, appeared in Pushcart Prize anthologies (three times) and O. Henry Prize stories.
- Writes across genres including short stories, essays and writing instruction.