Branko Čegec

The writer, editor, critic, anthologist, essayist and translator Branko Čegec (1957) made his poetic debut with experimental poems, and subsequently devoted himself to free verse. A highly influential editor for one of the most significant literary magazines in the former Yugoslavia, Quorum (1985-1989), and then later for his own publishing firm, Meander, which he founded in 1992; in 1999 he was appointed the chairman of the managing board of Goranovo Proljeće (Goran's Spring), the most important poetry festival in Croatia.

Bibliography
Poetry

Eros-Europa-Arafat, SKUD I. G. Kovačić, Zagreb, 1980
Zapadno-istočni spol (Western-Eastern Sex), A. Cesarec, Zagreb, 1983
Melankolični ljetopis,(Melancholic Yearbook) ICR, Rijeka, 1988
Ekrani praznine,(Blank Screens) Naklada MD, Zagreb, 1992; second edition, 2003
Nitko ne govori hrvatski (Noone Speaks Croatian), (bilingual Croatian-French edition, with M. Mićanović and I. Prtenjača); selected and translated by V. Mikšić and B. Radić, Meandar, Zagreb, 2002
Tamno mjesto (Dark Place), Meandar, Zagreb, 2005

Strast razlike, tamni zvuk praznine - hrvatsko pjesništvo osamdesetih i devedesetih; (an anthology with M. Mićanović), Naklada MD, Zagreb, 1995

Non fiction

Presvlačenje avangarde, essays and critiques, CDD SSOH, Zagreb, 1983
Fantom slobode (Phantom of Freedom), essays, Naklada MD, Zagreb, 1994

Awards

Goran Prize for Young Poets (1980)
7 Sekretara SKOJ-a Award (1983)

Branko Čegec: 20th Century Fox

Branko Čegec, born in Kraljev vrh in 1957, is a leading figure in the Croatian poetry and literary scenes. Čegec holds a degree in South Slavic Studies and Comparative Literature from the University of Zagreb. He has published numerous volumes of poetry, including several award winning ones, as well as collections of essays and fiction. His poetry has been included in many Croatian as well as international anthologies and has also been translated into multiple languages. He served as the chairman for Croatia’s esteemed poetry festival, Goranovo proljeće (Goran’s Spring), from 1999 to 2007. He was a highly respected editor of the renowned literary magazine Quorum for years and is the founder and current editor-in-chief at the publishing house, Meandar.

Čegec’s vivid imagery and playful style thrust the reader into his unique and complex world. Read his poetry in the link below.
Translation by Stipe Grgas.

That Which is Expounded as Unfathomable

Interview: Branko Čegec

"Quorum in its first phase, that is, in the first five years while I was editing it together with my editorial board, must in some way be understood as a generational magazine, for it is a fact that it was dominated by an upcoming generation. When I, as you put it, declined the possibility that Quorum might be a generational project, I primarily had in mind a comparison with the existing tradition of generational magazines in Croatia, such as Krugovi, Razlog or the first issues of Pitanja."

Interviewer: Tvrtko Vuković
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