This dissertation explores the phenomenon of "post-Yugoslav literature" emerging after Yugoslavia's 1991 dissolution, focusing specifically on multilingual fiction published between 2012-2023. Through the analyses of nine novels, the research demonstrates how this literary category transcends traditional linguistic and national boundaries, incorporating not only standard Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian languages, but also regional dialects and languages like English, German, and Norwegian. The study reveals how these works simultaneously break from and continue Yugoslav literary traditions, grappling with themes of identity, trauma, language, and migration.
The research establishes three key findings: post-Yugoslav literature comprises heterogeneous texts that resist confinement to specific languages or nation-states; national literature proves an insufficient methodological framework for understanding this body of work; and while remaining connected to Yugoslavia's legacy, these texts often maintain critical or ambivalent perspectives toward it. By reconceptualizing post-Yugoslav literature as fundamentally multilingual and transnational, this dissertation contributes to the broader field of literary multilingualism, offering new frameworks for analyzing linguistic diversity in contemporary literature and its role in shaping transnational identities beyond the post-Yugoslav context.
Damjan Božinović successfully defended his dissertation on 4 April 2025.
Trial lecture
Designated topic: "Language, identity and transnational dimensions in the works of Ivo Andric"
Evaluation committee
- Professor Miranda Jakiša, University of Vienna (first opponent)
- Researcher Marianna Deganutti, Slovak Academy of Sciences (second opponent)
- Professor Karen Gammelgaard, University of Oslo (committee administrator)
Chair of the defence
Supervisors
- Associate Professor Stijn Vervaet (University of Oslo)
- Co-supervisor was Associate Professor Julie Hansen (Uppsala University)