The “Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša” award jury, presented by the “Theatre City” festival, whose members were Prof. Dr. Vesna Goldsworthy, Prof. Dr. Tatjana Đurišić, and Prof. Dr. Zoran Paunović (as president), has unanimously decided that the award winner for the year 2024/2025 is the writer Vladislav Bajac.
The jury states the following:
“Although he first entered the literary scene as a poet back in 1972, with poetry that clearly demonstrated the talent of its creator, Bajac would go on in the following decades to build his literary reputation primarily as a prose writer. In his body of narrative work, Eastern and Western cultural traditions, past and present, imagination and reality are intertwined together in an artistically fruitful way. From this harmonious convergence emerges a truly distinctive, powerful, and memorable artistic vision.”
After carefully analyzing each of Vladislav Bajac’s works – from the widely acclaimed The Book of Bamboo (1992), The Black Box (1993), The Druid of Sindidun (1998), Escape from Biography (2001), Hamam Balkania (2008), Chronicles of Doubt (2016), to his most recent novel A Shot in the Void (2024) – the jury emphasizes the author’s contribution to numerous universal themes that have shaped the challenges of history and the fate of humanity at the turn of the century, while also highlighting “the power of the art of storytelling.”
The jury also adds that “now, in the 21st century, Bajac’s work – meanwhile translated into more than twenty languages, awarded many significant literary prizes, and widely embraced by readers across the region, Europe, and the world – not only resists the test of time with elegant ease, but with each passing year demonstrates its indestructible vitality and growing significance.”
In making its decision, the jury also considered Vladislav Bajac’s continuous dedication and immeasurable contribution to cultural life (as a publisher, translator, and critical thinker). Congratulating the awardee, the jury concludes its explanation:
“Therefore, we express our sincere satisfaction that Vladislav Bajac now joins the distinguished group of literary creators who have received the ‘Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša’ award over the past three decades. We are confident that he will significantly contribute to the continued prestige of this internationally recognized and highly esteemed literary award, of which the ‘Theatre City,’ Budva, and Montenegro can rightfully be proud.”
The award will be presented to Vladislav Bajac during the literary program of the 39th “Theatre City” festival this year.
Theatre City Press Office