Ivana Šojat
Born (1971-02-26) 26 February 1971
Osijek, Yugoslavia (now Osijek, Croatia
OccupationNovelist, short story writer, poet, editor
NationalityCroatian
Period2000–present
GenrePsychological realism, bildungsroman, coming-of-age, short story, poetry, horror
Notable awards

Ivana Šojat (born 26 February 1971) is a Croatian writer from Osijek. She published poetry, novellas, essays, short stories and novels, the most famous of which is Unterstadt.

Upon its release, it won several prestigious literary awards, and was adapted and put onstage as a theatrical play.

Biography

Šojat graduated from high school in Osijek with a major in journalism, studied math and physics at Pedagogy Academy in Osijek, and French in Belgium. She worked as a translator, foreign correspondent, columnist, and as an editor of theatrical releases in Croatian National Theatre in Osijek. Most recently, she won the nomination of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) to run for mayor of Osijek in the 2017 local elections.[1][2]

For her contribution to Croatian literature, she earned distinctive honors and awards. She fought in the Croatian War of Independence.[3][4]

Writing

Šojat's published works include novels, novellas, short stories, essays, and poetry. Two of her novels have been translated into Macedonian.[5][6]

As a literary translator, Šojat translated many books from English and French into Croatian. In her works, she often examines the less palatable aspects of human nature including concealed truth, domestic violence, rape, divorce, postwar resentment, ethnic cleansing, etc. In her view,

"What is kept unsaid, swallowed, undigested in a human being, individual, but also in the ethnic, racial, religious and other groups, grows to some sort of a critical mass when the trauma cannot stay confined inside. Then we have shocking news like suicides of the veterans, murders, everything up to wars, massacres, aggression."[7]

In her novel Unterstadt [Lower Town] Šojat traces the struggle of a family from a minority group during times of socio-political upheaval. She builds the plot on historical records regarding a troubled Volksdeutsche family living in Yugoslavia for four generations.[8][9]

The story has characteristics of realistic fiction, although sources describe it as a bildungsroman as well as a coming of age novel.[10][11]

The novel Ničiji sinovi [Nobody's Sons] is a story about the disintegration of a family caused by war and alcoholism. The story sheds light on a couple whose marriage falls apart.[12][13]

The novel Jom Kipur tells the story of a warrior with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The plot, like in the novel Šamšiel [Shamsiel], intertwines the themes of love and hatred with the horrors of wars and post-war reconciliation.[14][15]

In Ruke Azazelove [Azazel's Hands] and in the collection of the short stories Emet, Šojat examines the "inner person" in more depth by employing stream of consciousness, interior monologues and flashback narrative to highlight the characters' psychological conflicts exposed through the process of purifying emotions in order to reconcile with the past.[16][17]

The protagonists in Šojat’s stories are highly engaged in the dramatic process of catharsis.[18]

Unterstadt [Lower Town] was adapted and put onstage in Croatian National Theatre in Osijek, and won a prestigious award as the best play in 2012.[19][20] ZKM Theatre (Zagreb) in co-production with Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb adapted selective scenes from Unterstadt [Lower Town] and presented them on stage as a play entitled Elza hoda kroz zidove [Elza walks through the walls] in 2015.[21][22]

Honors

  • Red Danice hrvatske s likom Marka Marulića [Order of Danica Hrvatska with Face of Marko Marulić], medal of the President of the Republic of Croatia for promoting Croatian culture domestically and abroad, 2016[23][24]
  • Pečat Grada Osijeka [Stamp of the City of Osijek], a public recognition for exceptional contribution to literature, 2011[25]

Awards

Bibliography

  • Novel Ezan, Fraktura Zagreb, 2018, ISBN 9789533580524
  • Poetry Ljudi ne znaju šutjeti [People Don't Know to Keep Silent], Fraktura Zagreb, 2016, ISBN 9789532668087
  • Short stories Emet i druge priče [Emet and Other Stories], Fraktura Zagreb, 2016, ISBN 9789532667905
  • Novel Jom Kipur [Yom Kippur], Fraktura Zagreb, 2014, ISBN 9789532665987
  • Novel Ničiji sinovi [Nobody's Sons], Fraktura Zagreb, 2012, ISBN 9789532664133
  • Novellas Ruke Azazelove [Azazel's Hands], Fraktura Zagreb, 2011, ISBN 9789532663471
  • Novel Unterstadt [Lower Town], Fraktura Zagreb, 2009 ISBN 9789532661163
  • Novellas Mjesečari [Sleepwalkers], Fraktura Zagreb, 2008, ISBN 9789532660739
  • Poetry Sofija plaštevima mete samoću [Sofija Sweeps Loneliness With Cloaks], V.B.Z. Zagreb, 2008, ISBN 9789532019353
  • Essays I past će sve maske [And All Masks Will Drop], Alfa Zagreb, 2006, ISBN 9531687056
  • Short stories Kao pas [Like a Dog], DHK Rijeka, 2006, ISBN 9536879530
  • Poetry Utvare [Apparitions], Solidarnost Zagreb, 2005, ISBN 9539921228
  • Poetry Uznesenja [Ascensions], Triler i DHK Rijeka, 2003, ISBN 9536879182
  • Novel Šamšiel [Shamsiel], Matica hrvatska Osijek, 2002, ISBN 953613778X
  • Poetry Hiperbole [Hyperboles], Hrašće Drenovci, 2000, ISBN 9536538113

Sources

  1. ↑ Šojat news, Večernji list; accessed 2 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Šojat, news, Glas-Slavonije.hr; accessed 2 May 2017.
  3. ↑ Šojat biodata Archived 2018-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, underpass.co; accessed 2 May 2017.(in English)
  4. ↑ Šojat biodata, dhk.hr; accessed 2 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Ničiji sinovi [Nobody's Sons] translated into Macedonian by Ermis Lafanazovski ISBN 9789989697234
  6. ↑ Unterstadt [Lower Town] translated into Macedonian by Aleksandar Prokopiev; ISBN 9789989697197
  7. ↑ Interview with Srđan Sandić, Artist (2013); accessed 14 May 2017.
  8. ↑ Review of Unterstadt, by Strahimir Primorac in Vijenac MH 438/2010; accessed 2 May 2017.
  9. ↑ Review of Unterstadt, by Boris Postnikov, Booksa.hr, 2010; accessed 4 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Review of Unterstadt, by Helena Sablić Tomić in Moderna vremena 2010; accessed 2 May 2017.
  11. ↑ Ivana Šojat, books Fraktura (publisher); accessed 4 May 2017.
  12. ↑ Article, by Strahimir Primorac in Vijenac MH 499/2013; accessed 4 May 2017.
  13. ↑ Article by Jagna Pogačnik in Jutarnji list, 2014; accessed 4 May 2017.
  14. ↑ Review by Marinko Krmpotić in Novi list, 2015; accessed 4 May 2017.
  15. ↑ Review by Vladimir Arsenić, Booksa.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  16. ↑ Review by Jagna Pogačnik in Jutarnji list, 2012; accessed 4 May 2017.
  17. ↑ Review by Đorđe Krajišnik Archived 2016-09-22 at the Wayback Machine in Oslobođenje, 2016; accessed 4 May 2017.
  18. ↑ Review of Unterstradt onstage by Mia Mitrović, Express.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  19. ↑ Unterstadt onstage, hnk-osijek.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  20. ↑ Unterstadt award, vecernji.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  21. ↑ Elza premiere, hrt.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  22. ↑ Elza onstage, zekaem.hr; accessed 4 May 2017.
  23. ↑ Danica hrvatska medal, Glas Slavonije, 2016, accessed on April 30, 2017
  24. ↑ Danica hrvatska medal, Poslovni portal, 2016, accessed on April 30, 2017
  25. ↑ "Stamp of the City of Osijek, 2011, record accessed on April 30, 2017". Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Literary award Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, 2010". Archived from the original on 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  27. ↑ Literary award Fran Galović, 2010
  28. ↑ "Literary award Josip i Ivan Kozarac, 2010, accessed on April 30, 2017". Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  29. ↑ Literary award Vladimir Nazor, 2009, accessed on April 30, 2017
  30. ↑ "Literary award Blaženi Ivan Merz, 2005, accessed on April 30, 2017". Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Plaque for successful literature, Kozarčevi dani, 2002, accessed on April 30, 2017". Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
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