"Sampas" by Ilija Đurović nominated for the European Prize for Literature

"Written in a kind of experimental form of a novel-sentence that develops without a point over a hundred pages, the reader is presented with a "story of the road" that brings the text closer to the language of poetry stylistically, rhythmically, and due to the wealth of poetic images," the announcement states.

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Đurović, Photo: City Theater Budva
Đurović, Photo: City Theater Budva
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The novel "Sampas" by writer Ilija Đurović has been nominated for the EUPL (The European Union Prize for Literature) for 2023.

"13 candidates have been nominated for this year's European Prize for Literature, and the award winner will be announced on April 28 at the Book Fair in Leipzig," according to the announcement of the Forum of Young Writers.

In addition to the award-winning novel, "according to the new rules, five more successful works from this selection will be selected".

Considering that the Forum of Young Writers is a national jury in Montenegro, they explained the choice of Đurović's "Sampas", saying that it was written in "a kind of experimental form of a novel-sentence that develops without a point over a hundred pages".

"Đurović has original, very skilfully and aesthetically succeeded, incorporating the qualities of different literary genres and genres as well as postmodernist literary techniques. Before the reader is a "story of the road" or, as it says in the subtitle, "a poem of the road" - a text that is stylistic, rhythmic and rich in poetic images brings it closer to the language of poetry," said the Forum.

They add that at the same time it is a novel with a clear context of the current socio-political and existential moment in Montenegro.

"Within which the confrontation of young people with some entrenched paradigms, unacceptable for them, is resolved in the decision to be unfettered and free, even with the awareness of the insufficiency of personal strength to bring about the desired changes or find an ideal place for self-realization", it is concluded in announcement.

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