Destiny, homeland and the "literature of dreams" of Zuvdija Hodžić in Italian

The fourth day of the International Literature Festival closed with the promotion of the Italian edition of the book "Someone is Calling" by the Montenegrin writer Zuvdija Hodžić, published by the Italian publishing house Besa-Muci, translated by Teresa Albano.

The Italian edition of Hodžić's stories represents an important contribution to the presentation of Montenegrin literature, but also a continuation of cultural cooperation between the two countries, said the representative of the Italian Embassy, ​​Silvia Stafa. She pointed out that this year's participation has a special meaning because it marks 20 years of independence of Montenegro.

Translator Tereza Albano spoke about working on Hodžić's stories and their journey to Italian readers, particularly emphasizing the writer's connection to his homeland, past, and sense of belonging. For her, the experience of distance from her native place, which she herself experienced, was one of the strongest motives through which she recognized her own experience in Hodžić's work.

"Homeland is not just a geographical location, but a voice, a memory, and a calling that accompanies a person even when they are far away," said Albano.

Speaking about the book's title, she pointed out the possibility that this call could be understood as the voice of the homeland that continues to accompany a person regardless of distance. Gusinje, as the space of Hodžić's roots and memories, in his stories transcends the meaning of a geographical place and becomes a symbol of the connection with one's own origins. Homeland is thus not necessarily just a point on a map, but also a landscape, a word, a smell or a person who reminds us of where we come from.

Albano also spoke about this sense of belonging through her experience of translating Hodžić's stories, including the collection "The Year of the Gusinj", emphasizing that literature can open up space for personal recognition even when the reader does not share the same life experience as the author.

"Translating Zuvdija Hodžić means translating an entire world in which myth, history, and personal destiny intertwine. His language is simple, yet extremely layered — every word carries within it an echo of tradition and a feeling of deep attachment to people on the margins. For me, working on this book was like rediscovering my own roots through someone else's story," Albano emphasized during her presentation.

Publisher Livio Muci spoke about his long-standing friendship with Hodžić and his literary work.

"The relationship and connection with Zuvdija are layered. On a literary level, I think his work is the most important among living writers that I have published. It is literature that does not adhere to current conventions and talks about things that are permanent — about human psychology, dreams and imagination that has no limits," said Muci.

He described Hodžić's work as "dream literature", in which reality, often marked by difficulties and contrasts, meets the space of unlimited imagination. According to him, the author does not bypass complex life situations, marginalization and the fates of people from marginal areas, but rather through them opens up the possibility of hope and living together.

Muci also recalled their first meeting many years ago at the University of Bari, when Hodžić attracted the attention of those present with his stories.

"He had a special gift for telling stories that captivated people. His stories are always surprising and often different from what we expect. If that is not literature, then literature is nothing anymore," said Muci.

He pointed out that Hodžić's literature, despite dealing with difficult experiences and life's contrasts, always finds a path to hope. His characters and their destinies do not offer simple solutions, but open up the possibility of overcoming divisions and finding meaning in imagination and mutual understanding.

Speaking about the uniqueness of Hodžić's expression, Muci also pointed to his ability to convey complex ideas and feelings with few words. As an example, he singled out a sentence from the story "The Return": "He is among his own, he is happy."

This simple formulation, as was emphasized during the conversation, contains a profound idea of ​​belonging — happiness does not have to be the conquest of something new, but the return to what one recognizes as one's own. It is precisely in this conciseness that Muci recognized one of the important features of Hodžić's writing, which, without unnecessary explanations, manages to open up space for broader meanings.

The promotion of the Italian edition of the book "Someone is Calling" thus raised questions of homeland, memory and belonging, but also showed how literature rooted in the experience of one region can find its way to readers in another culture. Through translation and publishing cooperation, Hodžić's stories continue to connect Montenegro and Italy, confirming that experiences of distance, the search for home and the need for understanding transcend linguistic and geographical boundaries.