Danko Popović

Danko Popović (19 August 1928  – 7 August 2009) was a Serbian writer and playwright.^[1]

Biography

Popović was born in Aranđelovac, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School, where he spent the biggest part of life and where he started his literary work. Danko, however, also returned regularly to his home town and property under the Bukulja. He wrote several novels, collections of short stories and scenarios for TV and radio dramas, most notably Knjiga o Milutinu (A Book about Milutin, 1985).

Writing style

Danko often wrote in a very tough, sincere manner and would sometimes focus on Serbian peasants and farmers and their suffering and historical value as his subject matter.

One of his most famous novels, Knjiga o Milutinu, is a peasant's grim and foreboding account of Serbia during 20th century. It presents the life story of a Serbian peasant who, having lived through the experience of World War II and the founding of the Yugoslav state is now in prison, having failed to satisfy the economic demands of the new communist rulers.^[2] As such, it was labeled as being nationalistic by the communist authorities.

His works supported the thesis that the Serbian people have not recovered biologically from demographic losses in World War I and in the Balkan Wars.^[3]

Storybooks

• Svečanosti, 1962. (Ceremonies)
• Kukurek i kost, 1976. (Hellebore and Bone)

Novels

• Čarapići, 1969. (The Čarapić's)
• Oficiri, 1979. (Officers)
• Kuća Lukića, 1980. (Lukić House)
• Gospodari, 1985. (Masters)
• Knjiga o Milutinu, 1985. (A Book about Milutin)
• Udovice (Widows)
• Svinjski ujed (Bite of a Pig)
• Konak u Kragujevcu (Resting Place in Kragujevac)

Other

• Biografija Jozefa Šulca (Biography of Josef Schultz)

TV drama

• Karađorđeva smrt, TVB 1984. Death of Karađorđe, TVB in 1984.

Documentary

• Josef Schultz (director) Zastava Films in 1973.

Awards

Isidora Sekulić Award

References

• Translated Serbian Wikipedia page