Olja Knežević

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Olja Knežević
Born
Olja Raičević

(1968-04-10) 10 April 1968 (age 56)
Titograd, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia
OccupationAuthor

Olja Raičević Knežević (born 10 April 1968) is a Croatia-based Montenegrin novelist. [1]

Contents

Her 2019 novel Katarina, velika i mala, which received that year's V.B.Z. Award, was translated into English the following year as Catherine the Great and the Small; it is considered the first contemporary novel by a Montenegrin woman author to be published in English translation.

Biography

Olja Knežević was born in Podgorica, Montenegro, in 1968. [2] [3] After spending her childhood in Montenegro, she moved as a teenager to California, where she graduated from Capistrano Valley High School. [2] [3] [4] [5]

In the 1990s, she participated in humanitarian work during the Yugoslav Wars, and worked as a journalist, editor, and interpreter on a radio ship in international waters. [6] Having studied English language and literature at the University of Belgrade, she received a master's degree in creative writing from Birkbeck College in London in 2008. [2] [3] [4] After living in London for 10 years, Knežević moved to Zagreb, Croatia, where she is currently based. [2] [4] [6]

She has published three novels and one book of autobiographical short stories. Her first novel, Milena & Other Social Reforms, was originally written in English as an adaptation of Knežević's master's thesis and later self-published. It was then translated into Montenegrin as Milena & druge društvene reforme and published by an independent publisher in Montenegro. Despite its subversive message that drew opposition from the Montenegrin government, it quickly sold out its first pressing and has since been reprinted, and published in other countries of the region like Croatia and Serbia. [3] [7] Milena & druge društvene reforme was followed by the autobiographical short story collection Londonske priče juga in 2013 and the novel Gospođa Black in 2015. [2] [3]

Her short stories were honored by the advocacy group Amnesty International. [6]

Her fourth book, Katarina, velika i mala, won a major regional prize, the Croatian publishing house V.B.Z.'s annual V.B.Z. Award, in 2019. [4] [7] [8] [9] Katarina, velika i mala was translated into English as Catherine the Great and the Small by Paula Gordon and Ellen Elias-Bursać, and published in 2020. [5] [8] [9] [10] [11]

It is thought to be the first contemporary novel by a Montenegrin woman author to be published in English translation. [9] [12]

In 2022, this novel was translated into German, as Katharina die Grosse und die Kleine, [13] which also makes Knežević the first woman novelist from Montenegro to be translated into German and published in Germany.

Knežević's writing is rooted in Montenegrin culture and history, through a feminist and, often, immigrant lens. [7]

Selected works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montenegro</span> Country in Southeast Europe

Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, and Croatia and the Adriatic Sea to the northwest with a coastline of 293.5 km. Podgorica is the country's capital and its largest city; it covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory of 13,812 square kilometres (5,333 sq mi), and is home to roughly 31% of its total population of 621,000. Cetinje is the former royal capital and cultural centre of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the President of Montenegro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubravka Ugrešić</span> Croatian writer (1949–2023)

Dubravka Ugrešić was a Yugoslav-Croatian and Dutch writer. A graduate of University of Zagreb, she was based in Amsterdam from 1996 and continued to identify as a Yugoslav writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igor Štiks</span>

Igor Štiks is a novelist and scholar. His novels The Judgment of Richard Richter and A Castle in Romagna have earned him multiple awards; the former has been translated into 15 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matija Bećković</span> Serbian poet, writer and academic

Matija Bećković is a Serbian poet, writer and academic.

Andrej Nikolaidis is a Montenegrin-Bosnian novelist, columnist, and political adviser. His novel Sin won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2011. The English translation was published in 2013 by Istros Books in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drago Jančar</span> Slovenian writer and playwright

Drago Jančar is a Slovenian writer, playwright and essayist. Jančar is one of the most well-known contemporary Slovene writers. In Slovenia, he is also famous for his political commentaries and civic engagement. Jančar's novels, essays and short stories have been translated into 21 languages and published in Europe, Asia and the United States. The most numerous translations are into German, followed by Czech and Croatian translations. His dramas have also been staged by a number of foreign theatres, while back home they are frequently considered the highlights of the Slovenian theatrical season. He lives and works in Ljubljana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica</span> Montenegrin handball club

ŽRK Budućnost is a professional women's handball team from Podgorica, Montenegro. Among the numerous titles, Budućnost is two-times winner of EHF Women's Champions League

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrija Mandić</span> Montenegrin politician

Andrija Mandić is a Montenegrin politician serving as the president of the Parliament of Montenegro since 30 October 2023 and eight-term member of the Parliament. He is the president of the right-wing New Serb Democracy. He was the head of the Democratic Front parliamentary club in the parliament until 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montenegrin wine</span> Wine making in Montenegro

Montenegrin wine is wine made in the Balkan country of Montenegro. Many Montenegrin vineyards are located in the southern and coastal regions of the country. Montenegrin wines are made from a wide range of grape varieties including Krstač, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Vranac. Other indigenous cultivars include Bioka, Čubrica, Krstač, and Žižak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anka Obrenović</span> Serbian socialite and writer (1821–1868)

Princess Anka Obrenović was a member of the Serbian royal Obrenović dynasty as the niece of the dynasty's founder Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia. She was also a society leader and writer whose translations in 1836 were the first literary works compiled by a woman to be published in Serbia. She was the inspiration for a poem by renowned Croatian poet Antun Mihanović, who had wished to marry her when she was 16 and he 41. In 1860, she established one of the first Serbian salons in her home in Belgrade. She was also known as "Anka pomodarka".

V.B.Z. d.o.o. is a Croatian publishing company including bookstores and online sale.

Montenegro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Adio" written by Željko Joksimović, Marina Tucaković and Dejan Ivanović. The song was performed by Knez, who was internally selected by the Montenegrin broadcaster Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG) to represent the nation at the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. Songwriter Željko Joksimović represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Lane moje" and Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Nije ljubav stvar" where he respectively placed second and third in the grand final of the competition. Knez was announced as the Montenegrin representative on 31 October 2014, while his song, "Adio", was presented to the public on 17 March 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daša Drndić</span> Croatian writer

Daša Drndić was a Croatian writer. She studied English language and literature at the University of Belgrade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dejan Tiago-Stanković</span> Serbian writer (1965–2022)

Dejan Tiago-Stanković was a Serbian-born Portuguese-based writer, literary translator and columnist for the magazine NIN. As a literary translator, he made the first translations of José Saramago in Serbian as well as of Ivo Andrić in Portuguese.

Montenegro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Inje" written and performed by Vanja Radovanović. The Montenegrin broadcaster Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG) organised the national final Montevizija 2018 in order to select the Montenegrin entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal. Five entries competed in the national final on 17 February 2018 where the winner was selected over two rounds of public televoting. In the first round, the top three entries advanced to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Inje" performed by Vanja Radovanović was the winner after gaining 37% of the votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Montenegrin coup attempt allegations</span> 2016 alleged Russian-backed coup détat plot in Montenegro

A coup d'état in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica was allegedly planned and prepared for 16 October 2016, the day of the parliamentary election, according to Montenegro's special prosecutor. In September 2017, the trial of those indicted in connection with the plot began in the High Court in Podgorica, the indictees including leaders of the Montenegrin opposition and two alleged Russian intelligence agents. Russian government officials denied any involvement. In 2019, the Higher Court found the accused guilty of plotting to commit ″terrorist acts″, also of "undermine the constitutional order of Montenegro" and first instance sentenced 13 people. In February 2021, the appellate court annulled the first instance verdict on all counts of the indictment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marković Cabinet</span> Government of Montenegro

The Marković Cabinet was the 41st cabinet of Montenegro. It was led by Prime Minister Duško Marković. It was elected on 28 November 2016 by a majority vote in the Parliament of Montenegro. The coalition government was composed of the Democratic Party of Socialists, the Social Democrats, and ethnic minority parties. The cabinet lasted until 4 December 2020, when it was succeeded by the Krivokapić Cabinet, and was the last cabinet of the era of DPS dominance, which lasted from the introduction of the multi-party system in SR Montenegro.

In February 2019, protests began in Montenegro against President Milo Đukanović, Prime Minister Duško Marković, and the government led by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has been in power since the introduction of multi-party system in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court Church (Cetinje)</span> Church in Cetinje, Montenegro

The Court Church in Ćipur is a Serbian Orthodox church located in the Ćipur neighborhood of Cetinje, Montenegro.

Celia Hawkesworth is an author, lecturer, and translator of Serbo-Croatian.

References

  1. ↑ Urban Book Circle (2013-11-23). "Biography". Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Olja Knežević". World Literature Today. 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Olja Knežević". The Modern Novel. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Tate, Michael (2020-10-02). "Granny Knows Best". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  5. 1 2 Janney, Matt (2020-06-11). "Vivid and richly detailed, 'Catherine the Great and the Small' explores a migrant's fragmented identity". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  6. 1 2 3 Newman, Charlotte (2020-10-26). "Finding Herselves". Splice. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  7. 1 2 3 Vassallo, Helen (2020-06-15). "Interview with Olja Knežević, author of Catherine the Great and the Small". Translating Women. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  8. 1 2 Vassallo, Helen (2020-06-08). "Translating Women: the Montenegro edit. Interview with Susan Curtis, Istros Books". Translating Women. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  9. 1 2 3 Vassallo, Helen (2020-06-22). "Interview with Paula Gordon and Ellen Elias-Bursać, translators of Catherine the Great and the Small". Translating Women. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  10. ↑ Kasradze, Anna (2020-12-21). "Catherine the Great and the Small – Olja Knežević". Full Stop. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  11. ↑ Smith, Morelle (2020-06-17). "Vividly translated, with many twists and turns". Scottish Review. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  12. ↑ Leong, Lee Yew (2020-08-06). "What's New with the Crew? (August 2020)". Asymptote Blog. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  13. ↑ "Buchvorstellung: „Katharina die Grosse und die Kleine"". eta Verlag (in German). 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.