Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings
1 appearances
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Edition 4 (1969) Winner
Mehmedalija "Mak" Dizdar
メフメダリヤ（マク）・ディズダル
Mehmedalija "Mak" Dizdar
Pen Names:
Mak（Short pen name commonly used in literary contexts）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1917-10-17 （Stolac, Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary）
- Died
- 1971-07-14 （Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia） age 53
- Nationality
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Languages
- Bosnian
- Religion
- Islam
- Residence History
- Stolac → Sarajevo
Career
- Occupations
- poet, editor
- Active Years
- 1936-1971
- Affiliations
- Writers' Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (President), Editorial staff at the daily Oslobođenje
- Memberships
- Writers' Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Influenced By
- Medieval Bosnian culture (stećci), Islamic mysticism (Sufism), Bosnian Christian traditions
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Sharia Gymnasium, Sarajevo | — | — | — | — | Bosnia (historical) |
State Sharia Gymnasium, Sarajevo
Country:
Bosnia (historical)
Attended and graduated from the State Sharia Gymnasium in Sarajevo; exact year not specified.
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kameni spavač (Stone Sleeper)
1966 poetryA landmark collection inspired by medieval tombstones (stećci). It reinterprets symbols and inscriptions to explore life and death, memory, and Bosnian identity, blending Christian and Islamic motifs.
life and deathnational memorymedieval relics and symbols
Translations
- English translation by Francis R. Jones (award-winning translation)
Modra rijeka (Blue River)
1971 poetry (long poems)A late collection that continues to explore medieval symbolism and ties historical perspective to personal emotion.
memory and timehomelandsymbolic imagery
Bibliography
- Kameni spavač (Stone Sleeper)
- Modra rijeka (Blue River)
- Selected shorter poems and fragments (various collections)
Adaptations
- Poems inscribed on memorials and a bust in Sarajevo
Translations of Works
- Kameni spavač – English translation by Francis R. Jones
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- symboliccontains gnostic elementsblend of colloquial and archaic vernacular
- Recurring Motifs
- stećci (medieval tombstones)images of moon and starsdeath and rebirth
Legacy
One of the central Bosnian poets of the 20th century. Kameni spavač is regarded as a cornerstone of modern Bosnian poetry, notable for reinterpreting national memory and medieval heritage.
Museums
- Mak Dizdar Foundation Sarajevo (location)
Academic Societies
- Writers' Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Archives
- Mak Dizdar Foundation archives
In Popular Culture
- Bust and memorials in Sarajevo bear his poetry inscriptions
Quotes
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"Here one does not live just to live. Here one does not live just to die. Here one also dies to live."
Source: Poem (inscription on the Tuzla massacre memorial)
Trivia
- Born Mehmedalija Dizdar.
- His older brother Hamid Dizdar was also a writer.
- His mother and sister died in the Jasenovac concentration camp.
- Kameni spavač and Modra rijeka are considered major Bosnian poetic achievements of the 20th century.
- Developed a distinctive poetic voice connecting Bosnian colloquial speech and medieval lexicon.