How space influences identity construction

Author's evening of prominent regional and European writers Lane Bastašić It was organized at the Bijelo Polje Cultural Center. Lana Bastašić was born in Zagreb and grew up in Banja Luka, where she completed her studies in English and Communication Studies, after which she received a master's degree in cultural studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade.

In conversation with the director of the Cultural Center Edin Smailović Bastašić said that in her literary work she is primarily interested in how space influences the construction of identity and the way we see ourselves. Due to frequent moves (Zagreb, Banja Luka, Barcelona, ​​Berlin, Belgrade, Trieste), she explained that she explores the position of a writer as a simultaneous insider and outsider, which she considers an ideal perspective for observing society.

She emphasized that frequent changes of residence allow a writer to maintain distance and critically observe the community to which he belongs, which is crucial for literary creativity.

Asked whether the understanding of identity in the Balkans was more specific than in the rest of the world, Bastašić said that in the Balkans, identity was often a matter of life and death, where people were assigned identities without their choice, determining their fate and degree of oppression.

"Although writers around the world deal with identity (racial, gender, family), in this region it is deeply imbued with historical and political circumstances. In the Balkan context, assigned identity often dictates everyday life, family relationships and the social position of the individual, sometimes leading to self-suppression under the pretext of 'culture'," said Bastašić.

She attracted the attention of the regional and international cultural public with her debut novel, "Catch the Rabbit," which won her the European Union Prize for Literature and was shortlisted for the prestigious Nin Award. The book was also shortlisted for the Dublin International Literary Award.

She is the author of the story collections "Milk Teeth" and the documentary diary "The Red Suitcase", and her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

“Although writers around the world deal with identity (racial, gender, family), in this region it is deeply imbued with historical and political circumstances. In the Balkan context, assigned identity often dictates everyday life, family relationships and the social position of the individual, sometimes leading to self-suppression under the pretext of “culture”.”