Sreten Asanović

Sreten Asanović (born 22 February 1931) is a Montenegrin author who established the short story genre in the country.

Asanovic was born in Donji Kokoti near Podgorica, Montenegro on 22 February 1931. He finished teacher education school and studied College for Pre-School Teacher Training.

He published his first story in the December edition of the magazine "Omladinski pokret", in which he had already published movie reviews and written for the column "From the Lives of Famous People". From 1957 to 1960, he was an editor and editor in chief of the Titograd (today’s Podgorica) magazine named "Susreti"; an editor of the Sarajevo magazine "Oslobođenje", 1960 – 1962; the first editor in chief of the journal "Odjek", 1963 – 1965; the secretary of the Commission for Culture and Art at the federal conference SSRNJ in Belgrade, 1963 – 1965; editor in chief of the Titograd magazine "Stvaranje", 1973 – 1989.

Published Works

Books

• "Dugi trenuci" (Long Moments), collection of stories, publisher: Narodna knjiga, Cetinje, Montenegro, 1956.
• "Ne gledaj u sunce" (Don’t Look at the Sun), collection of stories, publisher: Obod, Cetinje, Montenegro 1960.
• "Igra Vatrom" (Playing with Fire), collection of stories, publisher: Svjetlost, Sarajevo, BiH 1966.
• "Lijepa Smrt" (Beautiful Death), selection of stories and new stories with the preface by PhD Ratko Bozovic, publisher: Graficki zavod – Luca, Titograd, Montenegro, 1971.
• "Opojno pice" (Intoxicating Drink), selection of stories and new stories with the preface by Milo Kralj, Rad, Belgrade, Serbia 1977.
• "Noc na golom brdu" (The Night on Barren Hill), collection of stories, publisher Mladost, Zagreb, Croatia 1980.
• "O kulturi i stvaralastvu... " (On Culture and the Act of Creation …) articles, publisher: Radnicka stampa, Beograd, Sebia, 1981.
• "Lice kao zemlja" (The Face Like Earth), selection of stories by Gojko Antic, preface by PhD Mirjana Strcic, publisher: Univerzitetska rijec, Niksic, Montenegro 1988.
• "Putnik" (Traveller), novel, publisher: Dignitas, Cetinje, Montenegro 1994; the second edition publisher KPZ, Podgorica, Montenegro 1998; the third edition publisher: KPZ, Podgorica, Montenegro 2000; the fourth edition, Plima, Ulcinj, Montenegro 2001; the fifth edition with other selected works, Plima, Ulcinj 2003; and the sixth edition, by Vijesti, Podgorica, Montenegro 2006 in 22000 copies.
• "Martiri i pelegrini" (Martyrs and Pilgrims), collection of stories, publisher: Plima, Ulcinj, Montenegro 2000 in two editions. Selected works in four volumes, publisher: Plima, Ulcinj, Montenegro 2003.
• "Nomina", short stories, publisher: Plima, Ulcinj 2006 two editions and third in 2011.
• "Zvijezde padaju" (The Stars are Falling), selection of stories, the preface and postscript by Jovan Nikolaidis, publisher: NZCH and Plima, Zagreb, Croatia 2009; the second edition Plima, Ulcinj, Montenegro 2009.

Other works by Asanović

The anthology selection of stories by Camil Sijaric Sablja (Sabre) published by the famous library Luca; together with Cedomir Vukovic, The Selection of Montenegrin XIX century Travelogues – Testimonial (as in the case of Sijaric, Sreten Asanovic is the author of prefaces, postscripts and notes).

His radio dramas were also played and performed: 'To je ta zvijezda' (That’s the Star) and 'Samo kisa i vjetar' (Only Rain and Wind).

He was the screenwriter of many documentary movies about Montenegro, cultural monuments, the town of Cetinje, the earthquake in 1979 ... He was the president of the Writers’ Association of Montenegro (1973–1976), vice president of the Writers’ Union of Yugoslavia (1976–1979), president of the Writers’ Union of Yugoslavia (1979–1981), a member of the editorial board of the Lexicographic Institute Zagreb and an editor of the literature section.

His works are included in many domestic and foreign encyclopedias, lexicons, biographies; school literature. He was a member, administrator and keynote speaker in many domestic and foreign symposiums, congresses and round table events (Moscow, Riga, Titov Veles, Zlatibor, Dojran, Lublin, Kiev, Zagreb, Belgrade) dedicated to culture and literature. The book 'Lijepa smrt' (Beautiful Death) was translated in Albanian: ' Vdekje e hieshme', Rilindija, Pristina, 1975; in Macedonian: ' Ubava smrt', Misla, Skopje, 1977; in Russian:' Raskazi', Inostrana literatura, Moskva, 1977, in Romanian ' Frumoasa moarte' Univers, Bukurešt, 1978, in Italian: 'La bella morte' Ripostes, Salerno- Roma, 1993.

Some of his stories were translated and published in 23 languages: Arabic, Albanian, Belarus, Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, Armenian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Macedonian, German, Polish, Romanian, Ruthenium, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Czech, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian... (according to Sreten Asanovic ‘s biography written by famous biographers: Dobrilo Aranitovic, Olga Vukmirović Cane, Ksenija Grujičić and Plima J. Nikolaidis ).

Awards

• "Trinaestojulska nagrada Skupstine SR Crne Gore" (The highest national award 13 July by the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro) for the collection of stories Lijepa Smrt (Beautiful Death), 1972.
• The Award "Oslobodjenje Titograda" (Liberation of Podgorica) for the best piece of art in the field of literature for the book "Igra vatrom (Playing with Fire), 1967.
• "Goranova nagrada“ (Goran’s Award) for the best book of the year in Serbo-Croatian "Noc na Golom Brdu" (The Night on Barren Hill), 1981.
• NR Montenegro Education Council Award for the story "Dzelat" (The Executor), 1954.
• Writers Association of Montenegro Award for the collection of stories "Dugi trenuci" (Long Moments), 1957.
• Magazine "Stvaranje" (Creation) Award for the story "Uspavani konjanik" (Sleepy Horseman), 1959.
• In 1976 he was honored with the Medal of Brotherhood and Unity.
• He is the holder of the title of a prominent creator in the field of cultural work.
• Hi is a member of the Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts – DANU .

(Taken from the Doclean Academy of Science and Art – DANU).