37 years since death of sole Serbian Nobel winner

Today marks 37 years since the passing of the only Serbian Nobel Prize winner, writer Ivo Andric. Bosnia-born Andric died on March 13, 1975, at the Military Medical Academy (VMA), and was laid to rest in Belgrade. 37 years since death of sole Serbian Nobel winner He died before turning 83, and in his notebook he wrote: "The idea of death itself causes fear in every man. However, writers and 'public workers' also feel repugnance at the stupid and dishonest obituaries that await us..." Today, 37 years later, Serbia marks two jubilees - 100 years since Andric'c first literary work was published, and 50 years since he won the Nobel Prize. In October 2012, the country will also mark the 120th anniversary of his birth. Andric, who was born in Dolac near Travnik, then Austria-Hungary, today Bosnia-Herzegovina, received the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, December 1961, and has been the first and the only author writing in southern Slavic languages to win the award to date. As a Nobel Prize winner, academic and the most translated Serbian writer in the world at the time, Andric was laid to rest with top state honors. The funeral committee comprised 45 most distinguished political and cultural figures from entire former Yugoslavia - considering that he belonged to Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also Croatia and Serbia, through his parents' ancestry. However, Andric considered himself a Serbian writer, and declared himself to be of Serb ethnicity in his personal documents. According to his will, which was declared valid in 1975, all the money from his royalties and savings, including the Nobel cash prize, went to the Ivo Andric Foundation established after his death. The first session of the foundation's Board of Directors chaired by Rodoljub Colakovic was held a year after the writer's death, on March 12, 1976, at which Andric's long-time assistant Vera Stojic was elected the first manager. Since that day, the Foundation safeguards Andric's literary heritage and gives the annual prize for best short story or storybook. Every year, the Foundation sells rights to publish Andric's works in various foreign languages, and in 2011, it published his complete bibliography in cooperation with Matica Srpska, containing some 16,000 bibliographical units. Other publishers also marked the anniversary by publishing many of Andric's works. In 2011, there was a series of exhibitions dedicated to the literary giant, a jubilee stamp was issued, while a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary since Andric was given the Nobel Prize in Literature was organized at the Yugoslav Film Archive late last year. Ivo Andric (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

37 years since death of sole Serbian Nobel winner

He died before turning 83, and in his notebook he wrote: "The idea of death itself causes fear in every man. However, writers and 'public workers' also feel repugnance at the stupid and dishonest obituaries that await us..."

Today, 37 years later, Serbia marks two jubilees - 100 years since Andrić'c first literary work was published, and 50 years since he won the Nobel Prize. In October 2012, the country will also mark the 120th anniversary of his birth.

Andrić, who was born in Dolac near Travnik, then Austria-Hungary, today Bosnia-Herzegovina, received the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, December 1961, and has been the first and the only author writing in southern Slavic languages to win the award to date.

As a Nobel Prize winner, academic and the most translated Serbian writer in the world at the time, Andrić was laid to rest with top state honors. The funeral committee comprised 45 most distinguished political and cultural figures from entire former Yugoslavia - considering that he belonged to Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also Croatia and Serbia, through his parents' ancestry.

However, Andrić considered himself a Serbian writer, and declared himself to be of Serb ethnicity in his personal documents.

According to his will, which was declared valid in 1975, all the money from his royalties and savings, including the Nobel cash prize, went to the Ivo Andrić Foundation established after his death.

The first session of the foundation's Board of Directors chaired by Rodoljub Čolaković was held a year after the writer's death, on March 12, 1976, at which Andrić's long-time assistant Vera Stojić was elected the first manager.

Since that day, the Foundation safeguards Andrić's literary heritage and gives the annual prize for best short story or storybook.

Every year, the Foundation sells rights to publish Andrić's works in various foreign languages, and in 2011, it published his complete bibliography in cooperation with Matica Srpska, containing some 16,000 bibliographical units.

Other publishers also marked the anniversary by publishing many of Andrić's works. In 2011, there was a series of exhibitions dedicated to the literary giant, a jubilee stamp was issued, while a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary since Andrić was given the Nobel Prize in Literature was organized at the Yugoslav Film Archive late last year.