UNMIK on AIR

Friday 9 May, 2003

The literary scene in Kosovo today

(Andrea Saula & Luan Qorraj)

Hello and welcome to UNMIK ON AIR with Sputnik Kilambi and Martin Redi

In the second of our new bimonthly programs on culture, we look at developments in the contemporary literary scene in Kosovo - the concerns of Albanian and Serb writers today and how the war has impacted on literary expression. And joining us on the program today, veteran Kosovo Albanian writer Daut Demaku and budding young Serb author, Srdjan Popovic.

But why talk about the arts, some would say, when there are so many bigger problems faced by Kosovars today. Is there time, is there enough money and is there any will to think about culture? Srdjan Popovic, a young author from Gracanica believes art still has its place - art can’t be defeated he says, while the beauty of culture is eternal.

Srdjan Popovic: I can only say that art can’t be defeated. We are witnesses to the fact that today states are collapsing, wars are being fought just because of power, but art survives nonetheless, as does tradition and culture. I think it’s hard to defeat that. In the case of Kosovo, I think the most difficult thing is to find a way to highlight the total chaos we live in.

The need to talk and to write about the experiences of recent years and the things that one has managed to survive has always existed, says Daut Demaku, the head of “Rilindija” publishing house. A vast amount of literature is being produced in Kosovo today, over four thousand authors have published books over the last four years. But, he cautions, quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Daut Demaku: Various people have published many different books and we seem to be in a phase similar to France in the 1850s when everybody seemed to be writing books; it appears that this is a phase we had to go through, and with freedom of expression, every man wanted to publish a book. So it is only natural that quality should suffer.

For Demaku, the most interesting developments in contemporary Albanian writing are to be found amongst budding young authors, some of whom are modeling themselves on writers like Joyce, Wilde and American beatniks. Many writers are also looking inwards, injecting a psychological perspective in their work.

Daut Demaku: There are many young writers who have their own style and judging from what I see in the material brought to our publishing house, new artists have developed their own styles and techniques – and there are also well-known writers who have changed their writing styles.

According to Srdjan Popovic, many topics covered by Albanian authors are similar to those dealt with by their Serbian counterparts. To live a normal life is a common desire.

Srdjan Popovic: they agree that culture is a way of life.

I think this similarity can contribute to creating better living conditions in Kosovo, by organizing some joint events, like bringing together Albanian and Serbian actors who live in the same world of art. It’s the same school, the same direction.

Talented authors are not enough to ensure quality literary production – many writers have huge problems in getting funds to write and get published.

Srdjan Popovic: People are trying finance themselves. It means that if one wants to publish a book, one has to do it alone, because the situation in Kosovo is not conducive to donors’ conferences for funding or for people to organize themselves to further cultural development.

Popovic says there is only one Serbian writers’ association, which provides moral support but is unable to fund any publishing ventures. He complains about the lack of interest on the part of international organizations, which he says are preoccupied by other priorities, like the transition of power and the return of IDP’s.

Demaku says Albanian writers have also organized themselves as an association, and are trying their best to organize cultural manifestations, talks and debates. But this is still an uphill task.

There has been no direct cooperation between Albanian and Serbian writers to date. Which is unfortunate, says Popovic, since making connections can only be of mutual benefit.

Srdjan Popovic: I think that artists are not the ones to blame for the current problems in the cultural scene, and I think this issue should be taken up by the political representatives here in Kosovo. It means that they should give a kind of call, to bring together artists in order to forge links between them and to allow them to develop their ideas, because a lot of people, both Albanians and Serbs are interested.

Breaking barriers through culture – one can only hope that political representatives hear the pleas of Srdjan Popovic and Daut Demaku.

That brings us to the end of this edition of UNMIK ON AIR. Thanks for listening.