A new book of poetry by a Montenegrin writer has just been published. Tanja Bakić, entitled "I Was Adopted by Scottish Communists", as is the title of one of the poems on the cover, which "Vijesti" is conveying to its readers.
The collection was published by JU Ratković's Poetry Evenings, and through it, Bakić, as always, presents strong, provocative and contemporary poetry that does not hesitate to delve into uncomfortable topics such as loneliness, identity, alienation in the digital age, and even everyday life, which increasingly has elements of dystopia. With sharp language, bold and expressive symbolism and authenticity, Bakić builds a world in which the marginalized become protagonists, and the poem becomes a space of struggle and belonging, while encouraging and demanding from the reader a courageous confrontation with oneself and reality.
The book features around 50 poems, Bakić reveals to "Vijesti" and says that they were all created over the last two years.
"The main theme is the reaction to the rapid development of technology and society, and the changing value system in the modern era," says the author.
A writer Edin Smailović In the preface she signs, she notes that the author does an excellent job of analyzing the man of this era - confused, frightened, and alienated.
"Through this book of poetry, Tanja Bakić also addresses the most current topics of today: the epidemic of loneliness, decreasing communication between people, artificial intelligence... All of this ultimately leads to a dystopian world that is perhaps much closer than anyone can imagine," emphasizes Smailović.
In his critical review, the writer Bozidar Prorocic, points out that the "Scottish Communists" in the title are not just a symbol of a political system or ideology, but, he believes, a metaphor for the search for belonging, acceptance, and identity in a world that often rejects authenticity.
"This is a collection about those who didn't belong, about the margins, about opposites...", Proročić summarizes and adds:
“Tanja Bakić stands out in her poetry with her authenticity and boldness in asking questions that many avoid. Her verses do not seek answers, but rather invite the reader to introspectively question their own beliefs and position in the world. Her poetry exudes rebellion, but also melancholy, reminding us that in a world of constant turmoil and change, beauty and struggle go hand in hand.”
Tanja Bakić is a poet, literary translator, essayist and author of several music biographies. She was born in 1981. She graduated from the English Department of the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić, with the thesis “The Influence of William Blake’s Poetry on Jim Morrison’s Rock Music” and received her master’s degree on the thesis “The Search for the Otherworldly in William Blake’s Poetry”, and she received her doctorate in English Literature from the University of Montenegro, while she completed her scientific and research work at Harvard. Parts of her doctoral dissertation on William Blake they were published as a chapter in a scientific monograph, but also in scientific journals.
She published her first book of poetry at the age of 15, and has published more than 15 books to date. Her poetry has been featured in international anthologies and magazines. She represented Montenegro at the World Expo Dubai 2020. She is the recipient of a scholarship from the Ministry of Science for doctoral research, the Central European Initiative for Literature award, a scholarship from the British Association for Research in Modern Humanities, a residency at the International House of Authors in Graz, a scholarship from the Forum of Slavic Cultures, the Cankarjev Residency in Ljubljana, the Traduki Residency, and many others. Twice, by an international jury of art historians, she was chosen to represent Montenegro at the Biennial of European and Mediterranean Artists, and twice she was invited to speak at a conference on William Blake at the Tate Britain gallery in London... She translated Montenegrin authors into English and vice versa...
I was adopted by Scottish communists.
The morning after pill is like a wafer
Denim in plural
Sex movies between gums and teeth
Air that can be unzipped
Male diesel snake,
I'll tell you everything you don't know about
A bus trunk full of vaginas
I was adopted by Scottish communists.
That long ago summer
When heroines got their own streets
And they built monuments to pimps
Which tourists still visit today
Today I'm trying to be beautiful.
Bonus video:
