Youth Female Voices of the Balkan Rural Poetry

Lag Agro Lider's Project "Youth Female Voices of the Balkan Rural Poetry", whose main goal is promoting active young authors from rural areas from the Balkans and empowering rural youth through positive stories and role models, accepted for sub-grant within the EU funded project "Regional Network for Cultural Diversity".

As part of the support provided for the realization of multilingual projects, the LAL will gladly start with the promotion of talented young authors from neighboring countries. This time, following our program goals and missions, we choose to translate and promote in Macedonian language the courageous and uncompromising message of the young Serbian poet Radmila Petrović, in which rurality and youth are the dominant themes.

Petrović's songs are inspired by growing up and entering the world of adults from an isolated place. They are talking in a very authentic and honest way about the problems, challenges and desires that young people from small, predominantly rural areas face. The publication and promotion of an author who has already been called the next powerful voice in Serbian modern poetry can undoubtedly impact many young people in the region, especially given the topics the author writes about. The book's comprehensive promotion and distribution, accompanied by creative and critical conversations, will undoubtedly reach many parts and inspire the next young girls and boys to follow their dreams.

"My mother knows what is happening in the cities" of Radmila Petrović, published by PPM Enclave (2020) has become one of the most commented books in Serbia. Earlier, Petrović won the widest audience via Facebook and aroused curiosity for poetry even among those who don't care about it. Although the book flirts with female subordination themes, it remains within the horizon of expectations of the Serbian poetry scene and the gender distribution of power.

Using the slogan about punk, we can paraphrase that for Petrovic, "the village is not dead".

 

Devojka koja ne veruje u mitove

 

kod proročice smo išli

tata, mama i ja

rekla je biću muško

i nešto veliko

spasla mi je život

 

devojčice koje se ovako rode

ne poznaju bogove

za sedmi rođendan

kolju petla na panju

 

ne koriste maskaru

nego masat i francuski ključ

voze traktor

cede čvarke

i jedu kavurmu

 

to su one dugonoge devojke

što same šetaju

dok se prve pahulje tope

na krovu hotela Moskva

 

priđi im samo ako možeš

zavoleti muškarca u njima

Regional Network for Cultural Diversity (READ) is a regional project contributing to the reconciliation and intercultural tolerance and literacy by opening new channels of communication between cultural CSO and providing networking possibilities. READ is a joint project implemented by Goethe-Institut (DE), Center for Balkan Cooperation - Loja (NMK), Instituti I Librit dhe i Promocionit (AL), Kalem Culture Association (TR), Krokodil (SRB), Qendra Multimedia (RKS). The Project is funded by the European Union.

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