Bogić Rakočević passed away

Montenegrin poet, essayist and literary critic Bogić Rakočević passed away today at the age of 64.

Bogić Rakočević was born in Mojkovac in 1962. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić with a degree in Serbo-Croatian language and Yugoslav literature, where he also attended postgraduate studies.

He was the secretary and editor-in-chief of the Literary Youth of Montenegro, editor of the literary program of the Youth Center "Budo Tomović" in Titograd, organizer and editor of the Festival of Young Poets of Yugoslavia "May Handshake", selector of the International Poetry Meetings "Slovo Makovo" in Sarajevo, and editor-in-chief of the magazine Bibliografski vjesnik.

He served as the artistic director of the International Television Festival in Bar, as well as the artistic director of the international literary event Ratković's Poetry Evenings in Bijelo Polje.

He has published over twenty books in various literary fields. He has won numerous literary awards, including the most important poetry award in Montenegro, the "Risto Ratković" (for the book of poems "Osobine").

It has been translated into: English, Italian, Romanian, Belarusian, Macedonian, French, Slovenian, Polish, Albanian, German, Swedish, Slovak, Bulgarian, Russian and Azerbaijani.

He participated in numerous literary and scientific conferences and festivals in the country and abroad.

He is represented in all major selections and anthologies of contemporary Montenegrin literature and several anthologies of South Slavic literature.

He is the author of the first television anthology of Montenegrin poetry of the 20th century in Montenegro in 30 half-hour episodes. He is the editor and screenwriter of a series of documentary films about Yugoslav writers and painters.

He worked at the Television of Montenegro as the editor of the Culture Department, editor of the Cultural and Artistic Program, editor-in-chief of the First Program, and editor of the Minorities Program.

He served as the director of the National Library "Đurđe Crnojević" in Cetinje. He will also be remembered for his contribution to the affirmation of the Montenegrin language internationally, as during his mandate the Montenegrin language received its international ISO code CNR, confirming its separate linguistic identification at the international level.

He was a member of the current Council of the Film Center of Montenegro.

He left behind a wife, two children and a granddaughter.

Bogić Rakočević was a subtle, thoughtful poet, he appeared with the generation that entered the scene in the 1980s under the auspices of the then Literary Youth of Montenegro, and which grew up alongside the cult Zagreb magazine Quorum and Belgrade's Književna reč.

In addition to poetry, he was also a valuable anthologist and essayist.