Wer ist eigentlich Jasminka Petrović? Und was mag/macht sie für Kinder- und Jugendbücher? Drei Fragen an die Autorin aus Serbien.

– How did you start to write books for children (and young people)?

I started writing stories, dramma games, and poems as a child but I kept all my works hidden in drawers. I was afraid of the readers’ comments. I used to be afraid of both positive and negative criticism so I kept my writing a secret. Later, I studied the Spanish language and literature and I worked as a copywriter in a marketing agency. I had no problem in publishing the commissioned texts but the words coming out of my soul still ended up in drawers. The things changed when the war in Yugoslavia started, in the the 90-ties of the last century. I wrote an anti-war story “Giga Makes the Sea“, about the children who use their immagination and play to become better than adults. The wish to stand up to the war in its insanity became stronger than my fear of going public. After the story was published (1996) I quit my job with the marketing agency and decided to become a writer for children and young people. So far, I have written about thirty books.

– Which of your books should everybody be familiar with (and why)?

In the first place there is my novel “The Summer When I Learnt How To Fly“ (2015). The main character, Sophie, is growing up before the very eyes of the readers, she gets mad, she laughs, fights, reads, sings and, most importantly, loves and forgives. The book is about a lot of issues: family relationships, war consequences, tolerance levels among the young, parents’ financial problems…The book is a compelling reading both for young and older readers though it was primarily written for teenagers. Here is a review by a 12 year old boy Jovan Matijević, from Novi Sad: “While I was reading this novel, it was like going through my own life. I was becoming mature in a way. I realized how important the family is, especially for us, teenagers. I am thankful to our grannies for gathering us all for holidays. People are connected by sincerity and forgiveness.“
“Sex for beginners“ is a book about sexuality and puberty. It makes the space for talking about these topics, without prejudice and frustration, first with adults at home and at school and then also with peers. “Sex for beginners“ has been translated into 25 languages (German, English, French, Russian, Chinese…). There are also four theatre adaptations: in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Zagreb and Stockholm.
I can also single out the teenage novel “This is the worst day of my life“, which has a humorous approach to the troubles of the main character. He finds everyting horrible: the family and the school and the girl he fancies and the neighbours and friends…His life becomes fun only at the end of the book when he realizes that he cannot change anyone but himself. I laughed out loud while writing this book. Growing up is not easy but it can also bring a lot of laughter and joy. The book has been translated into several languages (German, Swedish, Macedonian..) It has won many awards and there is a theatre adaptation on stage in Belgrade.
The novel “35 calories without sugar“ talks about anorexia and friendship. There are two stories in the book, which end differently. The story in which the heroine gets the support of her family and friends has a happy ending.
I think that the illustrations are very important for children’s books. I usually work with the illustrator Bob Živković, and since recently with Ana Petrović.

– Which theme or motif would you love to work on in a children’s book some day?

I wish to write a book on immigrant children. I am already working on it with an NGO from Belgrade which will help me research the topic.