Inspired by tombstones and their inscriptions, Mak Dizdar's rich and haunting poems in "Stone Sleeper", his most famous work, are a journey into the mysterious heart of medieval Bosnia. The poems form a three-way dialogue between the modern poet, the Christian heretics awaiting Judgement Day beneath their enigmatically-carved tombstones, and the heretic-hunters. Beneath the local and temporal, Dizdar explores universal issues: the value of resistance, though it might be futile; of faith, though it might be illusory; and, of life, though it ends in death. Francis R Jones' inventive and beautiful translations convey his deep understanding of Dizdar's purpose. In addition a penetrating analysis of "Stone Sleeper"'s historical, religious and spiritual background is given by the distinguished scholar Rusmir Mahmutaehajia, whose book "Across the Water: On the Poetry of Mak Dizdar" is published by Fordham University Press.

About the Author
Francis R. Jones has published notable translations from Serbo-Croat, including several volumes of poetry by the late Ivan V. Lalic, and poems by Vasko Popa. He teaches at the University of Newcastle. Mehmed Alija 'Mak' Dizdar (1917-1971), considered one of the greatest Yugoslav writers, was born in Stolac, southern Bosnia. After the war, in which he was a partisan in Tito's army, he became a prominent figure in Bosnian cultural life, working as newspaper editor, as book publisher and, finally, as President of the Writers' Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He died in Sarajevo.


Book Information
ISBN 9780856463976
Author Mak Dizdar
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Anvil Press Poetry
Publisher Carcanet Press Ltd