The second annual “Dani Mirka Kovača” festival is set to take place from December 6 to 9, 2023, across the cities of Podgorica, Nikšić, and Cetinje. Organized by the publishing house Fokalizator, the event will feature over 20 participants from Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, celebrating the legacy of the acclaimed writer Mirko Kovač.
The festival will commence on December 6 at 18:00 local time at the Book Caffe in Podgorica. The opening program, titled “Prolegomena: Vježbanka Danilo Kiš, od ružinog drveta,” will introduce a new edition of the popular book by Božo Koprivica. The discussion will include insights from Sanja Vojinović, and actor Zoran Vujović will read excerpts from the book.
Following the opening, at 19:00, the program “Željeznička postaja Petrovici” will feature a video presentation by Radmila Vojvodić from Kovač’s birthplace. At 19:30, a panel discussion on “Psihološko pauziranje: drame, scenariji” will take place, featuring speakers Janko Ljumović, Aleksandar Radunović, and Ana Vukotić, moderated by Dragana Erjavšek. The first day will conclude with the program “Rastreseni život, prijatelji o Mirku,” starting at 20:30, where Vlaho Bogišić, Božo Koprivica, and moderator Vanja Kovačević will reflect on Kovač’s life and works.
The second day of the festival, December 7, will also kick off at 18:00 in Book Caffe with the program “Melanholija suverenosti, o domovini pisca.” This session will feature Branimir Jukić, Ivana Kovač-Baret, Ana Radović-Kapor, and moderator Jelena Nelević, alongside the presentation of Radović-Kapor’s book “Diplomacija za neovisnost.”
At 19:00, the program “Oskvrnitelj mitova, pred naučnim sudom” will explore the scientific reception of Kovač’s work, with contributions from Tatjana Čalasan, Sanja Vojinović, and Melida Travancćić, moderated by Andrija Radović. They will also introduce two new publications from Fokalizator: the critique “U drugom licu” by Melida Travancćić and the study “Kovač, tradicija” by Sanja Vojinović.
The evening will continue at 20:00 with the program “Feral mikrokozma, razglednice iz Rovinja,” featuring Vlaho Bogišić, Katarina Luketić, Sasa Ćirić, and moderated by Jelena Nelević. The final program of the Podgorica segment, “Postmoderna: nisam to ja, to je pripovjedačko ja,” will begin at 21:00, bringing together Svetislav Basara, Božo Koprivica, Dusan Šarotar, Vladimir Vojinović, and moderated by Dragana Erjavšek.
On December 8, the festival will move to Nikšić, where Božo Koprivica will promote his book “Vježbanka Danilo Kiš” at the “Kultivator” club at 18:00. This promotion will continue on December 9 at 18:00 at the Culture Centre of the Capital, Prijestonica.
The event is supported by the Minister of Culture and Media, ensuring a robust platform for discussions on literature, theatre, and the enduring legacy of Mirko Kovač.
