The Department of Literature of Matica Srpska was founded at the constitutional assembly of the Board in 1864 upon the relocation of Matica Srpska to Novi Sad. The first meeting of the Department was held on the 29th and 30th of August the same year. The Literary Board of the Department was constituted in October. The members of the Department of Literature, however, had been working actively in Matica Srpska since its founding. The scope of their work was presentation of Serbian culture in Europe as well as the enlightenment of the Serbian people. To this end were the rich publishing activities developed. The basis of these activities was Letopis (The Chronicle) launched in 1824 and, over time, numerous editions of Matica Srpska were created.
The Department of Literature and Language in its contemporary form was assembled after World War 2. Its task is to organize, encourage and popularize scientific research work in the fields of literature and language, to support the development of contemporary literature and literary language, to care for and cultivate the language and literature of the Serbian people and its connections with cultures of other nations, as well as to develop cooperation with according scientific and cultural institutions in our country and abroad.
The Department operates under the management of the Secretary General of the Department and the Department Board.
Secretary Generals of the Department:
Professor Boško Novaković, PhD (1968‒1973)
Professor Božidar Kovaček, PhD (1973‒1982)
Professor Jovan Jerković, PhD (1983‒1994)
Professor Marija Kleut PhD (1995‒1998)
Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD (1999‒2012)
Marko Nedić, PhD (2012‒ )
Secretary General:
Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD
e-mail: isidora.bjelakovic@gmail.com
Associate of the Department:
Milena Kulić
mkulic@maticasrpska.org.rs
021/6622-726
Board members of the Department
Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD
Professor Slobodan Vladušić, PhD
Academician Miro Vuksanović
Professor Slavko Gordić, PhD
Professor Vladislava Gordić Petković, PhD
Dragana Grbić, PhD
Academician Jasmina Grković Mejdzor
Professor Jovan Delić, Corresponding Member of SANU
Professor Rajna Dragićević, PhD
Professor Jasmina Dražić, PhD
Professor Radoslav Eraković, PhD
Professor Dušan Ivanić, PhD
Milina Ivanović Barišić, PhD
Professor Kornelija Ičin, PhD
Professor Mladen Jakovljević, PhD
Professor Vojislav Jelić, PhD
Professor Aleksandar Jovanović, PhD
Mirjana Jocić
Professor Marija Kleut, PhD
Professor Aleksandra Korda Petrović, PhD
Academician Aleksandar Loma
Professor Goran Maksimović, PhD
Professor Ksenija Maricki Gađanski, PhD
Professor Aleksandar Milanović, PhD
Dejan Miloradov, Mr
Professor Sofija Miloradović, PhD
Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD
Marko Nedić, PhD
Professor Milovoj Nenin, PhD
Professor Jelena Novaković, PhD
Vasa Pavković, Mr
Professor Slobodan Pavlović, PhD
Professor Mihajlo Pantić, PhD
Professor Zoran Paunović, PhD
Professor Aleksandar Petrović, PhD
Professor Ljiljana Pešikan Ljuštanović, PhD
Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD
Professor Petar Pijanović, PhD
Academician Predrag Piper
Professor Valentina Pitulić, PhD
Professor Jovan Popov, PhD
Professor Dragana Radovanović, PhD
Professor Saša Radojčić, PhD
Selimir Radulović
Professor Gorana Raičević, PhD
Academician Slobodan Remetić
Professor Nenad Ristović, PhD
Professor Vladislava Ružić, PhD
Professor Viktor Savić, PhD
Đorđo Sladoje
Professor Rada Stijović, PhD
Professor Bojana Stojanović Pantović, PhD
Professor Boško Suvajdzić, PhD
Professor Sreto Tanasić, PhD
Professor Kornelija Farago, PhD
Professor Mihal Harpanj, PhD
Professor Dragan Hamović, PhD
Professor Zorica Hadzić, PhD
Professor Mladen Šukalo, PhD
The First Book Series of Matica Srpska
The First Book Series of Matica Srpska was launched in 1957 and was meant for young authors stepping on to the literary scene. Over 250 titles of poetry, prose, reviews, literary theory and essay writing have been published so far. Apart from achieving enviable reputation, Matica’s Prva Knjiga is the oldest series of this type in Serbian publishing of the 20th century.
Books are printed in a symbolical print run of 300 numbered copies. By system of exchange they reach all relevant national libraries including the Library of Congress in the USA.
Many of the authors of this series are important representatives of our contemporary literature. The list includes: Dobrica Erić, Mirjana Stefanović, Judita Šalgo, Milutin Petrović, Gvozden Eror, Miro Vuksanović, Vladimir Kopicl, Radmila Gikić, Dragan Velikić, Novica Milić, Ljubiša Arsić, Mihajlo Pantić, Jovan Delić, Jovan Popov, Vojislav Karanović, Zoran Đerić, Dubravka Đurić, Veselin Marković, Vladimir Tasić, Borivoje Adašević and others.
Prva Knjiga was edited by Ivan B. Lalić, David Albahari, Miroslav Antić, Florika Štefan, Vasa Pavković and many other acclaimed authors. The publishing of every new series of the First Book coincides with the Book Fair in Belgrade where the authors can present themselves to the literary public for the first time.
Manuscripts competing for the Prva Knjiga Series are accepted until the 1st of May and the decision of the editorship is made public on the website of Matica Srpska by the end of July at the latest.
The propositions of the open competition are that the author should not be older than 30 years of age in the year they enter the open competition and that they have no previously published books. Manuscripts can be sent to (or delivered in person) to the following address: Matica srpska, za ediciju „Prva knjiga”, Matice srpske 1, 21000 Novi Sad.
Editorship of the First Book Series:
Professor Vladislava Gordić Petković, PhD, Editor in Chief
Sonja Veselinović, MA
Professor Đorđe Despić, PhD
Nenad Milošević
Ivan Radosavljević
THE ZMAJ AWARD LIBRARY
The Zmaj Award Library was instituted with the intention to fully and critically shed light on the poetic work of the winner of this most significant award for poetry of Matica Srpska. Their work, analyzed from various critical and methodological perspectives, gives a more detailed picture of the scope and importance of their poetry for the contemporary Serbian literature. So far books about the poetry of the following authors have been published: Aleksa Vukadinović, Jovan Hristić, Dara Sekulić, Duško Novaković, Srba Mitrović, Miroslav Maksimović, Živorad Nedeljković, Nikola Vujčić, Zlata Kocić, Miroslav Cera Mihajlović.
Editors of the Zmaj Award Library:
Ivan Negrišorac
Assistant Professor Đorđe Despić, PhD
THE ZMAJ AWARD OF MATICA SRPAKA
The assembly meeting of Matica Srpska held on the 15th of March 1953 founded a permanent annual literary award called Zmajeva nagrada Matice srpske za poeziju na srpskom jeziku (The Matica Srpska Zmaj Award for Poetry in Serbian Language) in remembrance of the poet Jovan Jovanović Zmaj. The cash award is financed from the endowment funds run by Matica Srpska: Jovan Naka Endowment, Atanasije Gerecki Endowment, Aleksa and Marija Dejanović Endowment, Nikola and Rakila Knežević Endowment, Božana Latinčić Endowment, Katica and Dančika Manojlović Endowment, Đorđe F. Nedeljković Endowment, Ljuba and Julijana Nedeljković Endowment, Sofija Pasković née Kambel Endowment, Đorđe Redak Endowment, Marija Trandafil Endowment and Jovan Trandafil Endowment, as well as from funds of Matica Srpska.
The funds for this year’s Zmaj Award (RSD 150,000.00) were provided by Srpska banka from Belgrade.
This award is, in accordance with the book of regulations of the Zmaj Award of Matica Srpska, announced and given to winners at Matica Srpska at a ceremonial meeting on the day of its founding, the 16th of February every year.
The jury of the Zmaj Award:
Professor Jovan Delić, Corresponding Member of SANU
Ivan Negrišorac
Selimir Radulović
Đorđo Sladoje
Želidrag Nikčević
BRANKO AWARD OF MATICA SRPSKA
In remembrance of Branko Radičević and on the 100th anniversary of his death Matica Srpska instituted the Branko Award, an award for students of philological and philosophical faculties (at a meeting of the Management Board on the 17th of October 1948). Since then Matica Srpska has traditionally awarded this prize to the best student works created during undergraduate as well as master studies, written or translated into Serbian. The subjects of these works can be the history of Serbian literature and other literatures of the world, contemporary Serbian and world literature as well as other theoretical questions regarding literature.
The respective departments of universities submit seminar papers and theses to members of the jury. The prize is comprised of a diploma and a sum of money.
The jury of the Branko Award of Matica Srpska:
Professor Vojislav Jelić, PhD, President
Professor Dragana Vukićević, PhD
Professor Sanja Paripović Krčmar, PhD
Professor Nataša Polovina, PhD
Professor Vladimir Gvozden, PhD
MLADEN LESKOVAC AWARD
In 1993, in remembrance of Mladen Leskovac, Matica Srpska founded the Mladen Leskovac Award for the best published scientific work in the field of the history of Serbian literature. This prize is awarded every third year.
Winners of the Mladen Leskovac award up to now:
1 Dragiša Živković, PhD (1991, 1992, 1993)
2 Novica Petković, PhD (1994, 1995, 1996)
3 Radmila Marinković, PhD1997, 1998, 1999)
4 Nada Milošević, Đorđević, PhD (2000, 2001, 2002)
5 Božidar Kovaček, PhD (2003, 2004, 2005)
6 Dušan Ivanić, PhD (2007, 2008, 2009)
7 Jovan Delić, PhD (2010, 2011, 2012)
8 Dejan Aleksić (2013)
9 Gojko Đogo (2014)
Jury of the Mladen Leskovac Award:
Professor Dušan Ivanić, PhD, president
Professor Aleksandar Jovanović, PhD
Professor Jovan Delić, PhD, Corresponding Member of SANU
Academician Nada Milošević Đorđević
Marko Nedić, PhD
Members of the Krajiški board of Matica srpska
Sofija Božić, PhD
Čedomir Višnjić
Professor Slavica Garonja Radovanac, PhD
Professor Dušan Ivanić, PhD, president
Danka Lajić Mihajlović, PhD
Milan Micić, PhD
Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD
Ljiljana Stošić, PhD
Borivoj Čalić
Branko Čolović, PhD
Svetlana Šeatović, PhD