COUNTRY REPORT
JULY – DECEMBER 2008
(YACS)
1.
New courses and new centres:
Vesna Lopicic. International University of Novi Pazar, English Department, Nis: Fiction into
Fact: from literature to culture. (new course)
Radmila Nastic. University of Kragujevac, faculty of philology and arts,
Literature and Culture (new course)
Canadian
Centre for canadian studies at the university of kragujevac (initiative under way to
establish the center)
2. Conference participation
«Mali rečnik nostalgije»: srpski jezik i očuvanje kulturnog identiteta. Spski jezik, književnost,
umetnost, Medjunarodni naučni skup u organizaciji Filološko-umetničkog fakulteta
Univerziteta u Kragujevcu. Kragujevac, 31. 10 – 01. 11. 2008.
Auto/biography Between Literature and History. On the Borders of Convention, The Fourth
International Conference on Anglo-American Studies organised by The Faculty of
Philosophy, Niksic, Montenegro. 30 October – 1 November 2008.
Dušan Stamenković, Seventeenth European Seminar for Graduate Students in Canadian
Studies, Humanities Institute of Ireland, University College Dublin, October 23-25, 2008:
“Provincialism, Gothic and Grotesque in Canada and the USA: Robertson Davies’s Fifth
Business and Carson McCuller’s The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”
3. Academic publications
Pravljenje priče – pamćenje i pripovedanje: razmišljanja o autobiografiji. Književnost,
društvo, politika, Knjiga II: Zbornik radova sa naučnog skupa Srpski jezik, književnost i
umetnost održanog na Filološko-umetničkom fakultetu u Kragujevcu, 26. i 27. oktobra 2007.
Kragujevac, 2008. (pp. 99-113)
Superimposition of Cultural Structures: Mara Between Canada and Serbia, Radovi
Filozofskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Istočnom Sarajevu, Filološke nauke, br. 10, knj. 1, Pale,
2008 (821.161.1-992“11“, ISSN 1512-5859, (pp. 297-309)
Globalizacija: od utopije do utopizma, Jezik, književnost, globalizacija, Zbornik radova sa
Druge multidisciplinarne konferencije u organizaciji Filozofskog fakulteta u Nišu, 2008.
(ISBN 978-86-7379-161-6) (pp. 318-332)
Da li su samo slepi slobodni? – „Slepi ubica“ Margaret Etvud. Zbornik radova Filozofskog
fakulteta, XXXVII / 2007, Univerzitet u Prištini, Kosovska Mitrovica, 2008 (ISSN 03543293) (pp. 253-265)
4. Visiting lecturers
English Department, University of Nis, organised the following lecture:
Myrna Kostash,. Creative non-fiction author: Massacres in Early Canadian History. 29
October 2008
5. Grants
Vesna Lopicic. FEP grant for the proposal: Fiction IntoFact: From Literature to Culture.
Realised in August 2008.
Milena Kostic. Canada-Europe Award: Central Europe In Canada: CEACS Diaspora Project –
Oral History Research. Realised July 2008.
Dusan Stamenkovic. CEACS Grant for the Conference Trip to Ireland in October 2008
(Seventeenth European Seminar for Graduate Students in Canadian Studies); CEACS Grant
for the Conference Trip to Argentina in April 2009 (Seminecal)
6. Young Canadianists
Masters Thesis, Dušan Stamenković. ’Provincialism, Gothic, Grotesque: Davies’s Fifth
Business and McCuller’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter’. Defended on September 6, 2008 at
the Department of English, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad. Supervisor, prof.
Vladislava Felbabov. The board: prof. Vesna Lopicic and prof. Vladislava Gordic Petkovic.
7. Cultural activities related to Canada
Stojanka Radenovic-Petkovic, Performans - book launch: 13 November 2008, SKC, Nis
Other visiting artists and events organised by the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade coordinated
by His Excellence, Mr. MacDougal and Ms.Olgica Marinkovic, Cultural and Academic
Relations Officer:
Canada's participation in the Belgrade International Book Fair (the 6th since Canada was
Guest of Honour in 2003) was extremely successful in enhancing Canada's already high
literary profile amongst the Serbian public, and in developing new business with publishers
and promoting cooperation between the national libraries of Serbia and Quebec. The
Canadian delegation at the 2008 book fair included Philippe Sauvageau, President of the
Quebec City Book Fair, writers Christiane Chevrette and David Albahari, and illustrator
Dusan Petricic, who was nominated for two 2008 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award just
prior to the Belgrade Book Fair. Ten Canadian publishers displayed their wares at the Canada
stand. As per the Memorandum signed between the Quebec City and the Belgrade book fairs
in 2005, the Quebec City Book Fair was a key partner and an active participant in the
Canadian stand. Serbian Minister of Culture Nebojsa Bradic expressed his support for
Philippe Sauvageau's proposal to develop cooperation between the National Library of Serbia
and the National Library of Quebec. Canadian participation in the Belgrade International
Book Fair received wide coverage in Serbian media. The Embassy's promotion of Canadian
publishers and writers through the annual book fair and other activities has contributed to a
remarkable result: 36 Canadian titles have been published in Serbian in the last year alone
Other visiting artists and events
- Participation of Serb-Canadian artist Gordana Olujic at the Novi Sad Biennale of Textile Art
in September.
-Internationally acclaimed Canadian illustrator of Serbian origins Dusan Petricic attended the
opening of his retrospective exhibition "Autobiographic" at the Belgrade Museum of Applied
Arts on 2 October. The event, supported by the Canadian Embassy, attracted over 300
visitors, including the Serbian Minister of Culture, many key government figures and
representatives of the Belgrade cultural milieu. More than 1800 visitors saw the exhibit
between 2 and 28 October.
- Canadian cellist Paul Marleyn and pianist Silvia Fraser performed a concert in the
Guarnerius Centre for the Arts in October
- Canadian film Up the Youngze by Yung Chang participated at the Belgrade International
Free Zone Festival in November
- 11 Canadian documentary and experimental films were presented during the International
TV Festival in Bar, Montenegro in November. Member of the jury was the Canadian film
director Nena Toth. Canadian aboriginal origin film Director Graham Thomson attended the
festival. His TV documentary on Afghan women was presented during the festival.
- Canadian curator Kyd Kambell curated the Pancevo International Salon of Contemporary
Art. Works of two Canadian artists Robert del Tredeci ans Istwan Kantor were presented
during the salon.
- Canadian theatre director Michael Divane gave workshops attended the Belgrade
International Student Festival and gave workshops for the students of Belgrade University of
Arts in November
- Art Director of Belgrade Intl Theatre Festival attended CINARS assisted by PROMART
program in November
- Mission organised a book promotion of translated books "In the Skin of the Lion" and
"Divisadero" by Michael Ondaatje in cooperation with the Serbian publisher IPS in December
. HOM gave opening remarks related to government support program to literature and
publishing.
8. Translations of books and special issues of journals
Sergej Macura, M.A. , Assistant in English Literature, Faculty of Philology, Belgrade
University: Northrop Frye: Fools of Time, Ch. 3 – "The Little World of Man: The Tragedy of
Isolation", Trag, Vol. XV, Vrbas, September 2008, pp. 94–126. [Translation includes
explanatory footnotes and bibliography]