If he had killed the child inside him, "Blanka" would not have existed

What is Blank?

It's a blank white paper, a space, a blank that doesn't kill, the first 5-6 skydiving jumps, a ticket for a tournament that has no value... But the blank is also an "ode to life", a novel, a confession that warns, regular reading on Goldsmith University in London and "Džemal Bijelić" University in Mostar. It's blank Fedja Štukan.

As part of the second Autumn book fair "Anderva book" in Nikšić, organized by the National Library "Njegoš", Štukan's novel "Blank" was promoted, and the conversation with him was led by M.Sc. Ksenija Rakočević.

Actor, writer, screenwriter, editor, pilot, parachutist, motorcyclist, activist, it's all Stukan. But he is also a former soldier of the BiH Army, a sniper, a heroin addict, an alcoholic, a homeless person. Above all, he is the girl's father Aje, a man who, thanks to one missed bullet and the dog Žuća, realized that he didn't want to be part of a senseless war, but just a man.

The novel was created at the persuasion Angelina Jolie i Brad Pitt, who were looking for a synopsis for a film that they might one day screen. Instead of a synopsis, a novel was created, an autobiographical book in which he laid bare his life, written for nine and lived for 48 years, a testimony of a time and madness that he left to his daughter Aja.

"The name 'Blank' came about completely spontaneously, even stupidly, because I was writing all the time on the iPad that Angelina Jolie gave me, and that in a blank document. When I sent her and Brad the 30-page synopsis, which I never named, they said they loved everything, especially the title 'Blank'. That's how the book got its name. But 'blank' has many meanings", said Štukan.

Štukan said that he did not write the book to publish it, nor did he want to achieve any effect. He did not write that what he recorded would please anyone, not even himself. Everything happened without a plan, and the book has its own life, which he observes from the side. It doesn't even bother him that he completely "bares himself" because it's nice to take all the burden off him and be free. For a long time, he says, he "danced on a wire, a blade", was dead 10-20 times and managed to come back. She teaches her daughter that life is not a serious matter, and that it is pointless to search for meaning. He admits that he killed the child in him so that "Blanka" wouldn't exist either.

"I wrote 'Blank', but I don't think I would know how to write anything else. I'm not a writer, at least I still don't see myself that way. I'm glad that people contact me who tell me that the book helped them, that they got off drugs, stopped drinking, that they don't hate anyone anymore, that they left religion, I don't mean God but religion, that are no longer afraid of death or life, to feel freedom", said Štukan and pointed out that he does not recognize divisions or identities.

The novel "Blank" was translated into English, French and Italian and in a short time became the most read work in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

He doesn't make a living from acting and that allows him to choose roles

Štukan graduated and received a master's degree in acting from the Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Sarajevo. He had the opportunity to act with Oscar winners such as Benicio del Toro, Colin Firth, Tim Robbins, Ben Kingsley, as well as in the films of Terence Malick, Mark Vinterberg, Angelina Jolie. He is also present in ex-yu cinematography, in the films "Zgarište", "Gori Vatra", "Nafaka", "The Cannon was Hot", "Unclean Blood", the series "Klan", "Kotlina"... He is a permanent member of the Chamber theater 55 from Sarajevo. He starred with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

He is a teacher of the theoretical group of subjects at the Pilot School in Sarajevo, and the fact that he does not make a living from acting enables him, as he said, to be able to choose roles.

Rich program of the fair "Anderva book"

In addition to the conversation with Štukan, on the fourth day of the Autumn book fair "Anderva book", the children's book "Luka says" by Srđan Tešin was promoted, then the works "The poet talks to the philosopher" and "Real life" by Adam Zagajevski in translations by Biserka Rajčić and Petr Vujičić and published by ZUNSA, which were discussed by the editor Nađa Durković and the writer Nedžad Ibrahimović, as well as the book "White Room" by the writer, professor and editor Zoran Živković, who has so far published 23 prose works and eight monographs and is the winner of numerous prestigious awards.