Branko Ćopić

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Branko Ćopić on 50 pfenig banknote of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Branko Ćopić (Бранко Ћопић; January 1, 1915 – March 26, 1984) was a Bosnian Serb writer. His books have been translated into English, German, French, and Russian, and some of them have been turned into TV series and feature-films.

Ćopić was born in the village of Hašani, Bosanska Krupa, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His children's stories, novels, narratives, and poetry touched the lives of many. Undoubtedly, he was a cult writer to many growing up in Tito's Yugoslavia, and has been unjustifiably sidelined by literary historians since the country's break-up due to his decided and open commitment to the idea of Yugoslavism. Although he lived in Belgrade most of his life, his characters (mainly children and young people) and his stories and novels were inspired by his Bosnia and his childhood there, its nature and peaceful, proud, smart and bright people during World War II, partisans and revolution, all seen from a childish, but intelligent, highly emotional and humorious point of view. As a disappointed communist, Yugoslav, and humanist, he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in Belgrade after writing a preamble to one of his last books in which he predicted the rise of xenophobic nationalism in the Balkans and its terrifying consequences.

He was featured on the 0.50 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark bill, which has been withdrawn from circulation and replaced with coins.

1 Notable Works
2 Films/TV-Series made after Ćopić's Writings
3 References

[edit] Notable Works

[edit] Short Stories

Pod Grmečom - At the Foot of Mt. Grmeč (1938),
Borci i bjegunci - Fighters and Fugitives (1939),
Planinci - Mountaineers (1940),
Rosa na bajonetima - Dew on the Bayonets (1947),
Surova škola – The Cruel School (1948),
Odabrane ratne pripovetke – Selected War Stories (1950),
Izabrane humorističke priče – Selected Humoristic Stories (1952),
Dragi likovi – People Dear to Me (1953),
Doživljaji Nikoletine Bursaća – The Adventures of Nikoletina Bursać (1955),
Bašta sljezove boje – Mallow-Coloured Garden (1969);

[edit] Novels

Prolom – The Break-out(1952),
Guvi barut – Silent Gunpowder (1957),
Ne tuguj, bronzana stražo – Bronze Guards, Don't Mourn (1958)
Osma ofanziva - The Eight Offensive - 1966;

[edit] Poems

Ognjeno rađanje domovine – Homeland’s Fiery Birth (1944),
Poems (1945),
Ratnikovo proljeće – Spring of a Warrior (1947);

[edit] Writings for Children

Short stories:

Priče partizanke – Partisan Stories (1944),
Pjesme pionirke – Pioneer Stories (1945),
Vratolomne priče – Breakneck Stories (1947),
Sunčana republika – The Sunny Republic (1948),
Аrmija, odbrna tvoja – The Army, Your Defense (1949),
Priče ispod zmajevih krila – Stories from beneath the Dragon’s Wings (1950),
Pijetao i mačak – The Rooster and the Tomcat (1952),
Bosonogo djetinjstvo - Barefoot Childhood (1976),
Ježeva kućica - The Hedgehog's House,
U svijetu medvjeda i leptirova - In the World of Bears and Butterflies,
Doživljaji mačka Toše - The Adventures of Toša the Cat;

And novels:

Orlovi rano lete - Eagles Start Flying Early (1959),
Slavno vojevanje – Glorious Combat (1960) and
Bitka u Zlatnoj dolini – The Battle at the Golden Valley – known as „Pionirska trilogija“ - The Pioneer Trilogy,
Magareće godine - "Donkey" Years (meaning: The Tough Teens);