
Wer ist eigentlich Jasminka PetroviÄ? Und was mag/macht sie fĂŒr Kinder- und JugendbĂŒcher? 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 readersâ 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 âGiga Makes the Seaâ, 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 âThe Summer When I Learnt How To Flyâ (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, parentsâ 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 MatijeviÄ, from Novi Sad: âWhile 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.â
âSex for beginnersâ 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. âSex for beginnersâ 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 âThis is the worst day of my lifeâ, 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 â35 calories without sugarâ 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 childrenâs books. I usually work with the illustrator Bob ĆœivkoviÄ, and since recently with Ana PetroviÄ.
âSex fĂŒr AnfĂ€ngerâ ist ein Buch ĂŒber SexualitĂ€t und PubertĂ€t. Es bietet Raum, um ĂŒber diese Themen ohne Vorurteile und Frustration ins GesprĂ€ch zu kommen â zunĂ€chst mit den Erwachsenen zuhause und in der Schule und dann auch mit Gleichaltrigen. âSex fĂŒr AnfĂ€ngerâ wurde in 25 Sprachen ĂŒbersetzt (Deutsch, Englisch, Französisch, Russisch, Chinesisch,…). Und es gibt vier Theateradaptionen: in Belgrad, in Sarajevo, Zagreb und Stockholm.
Ich kann auch den Teenager-Roman âDas ist der schlimmste Tag meines Lebensâ hervorheben, das sich auf humoristische Weise mit den Problemen des Protagonisten beschĂ€ftigt. Und der findet alles schrecklich: Familie und Schule, das MĂ€dchen, auf das er steht, und Nachbarn und Freunde… Sein Leben fĂ€ngt erst am Ende an, SpaĂ zu machen, als er erkennt, dass er niemanden Ă€ndern kann abgesehen von sich selbst. Beim Schreiben dieses Buches habe ich oft laut lachen mĂŒssen. Erwachsenwerden ist nicht leicht, aber es auch groĂes GelĂ€chter und SpaĂ bringen. Das But ist bereits in mehrere Sprachen ĂŒbersetzt (Deutsch, Schwedisch, Mazedonisch,…), hat viele Preise gewonnen und es gibt eine Theateradaption an einer BĂŒhne in Belgrad.
Der Roman â35 Kalorien ohne Zuckerâ handelt von Anorexie und Freundschaft. Im Buch gibt es zwei Geschichten, die unterschiedlich enden. Die Geschichte, in der die Heldin UnterstĂŒtzung von ihrer Familie und ihren Freunden erhĂ€lt, hat ein Happy End.
Ich denke, dass Illustrationen sehr wichtig sind fĂŒr KinderbĂŒcher. Normalerweise arbeite ich mit dem Illustrator Bob ĆœivkoviÄ zusammen, und seit Kurzem mit Ana PetroviÄ.
– Which theme or motif would you love to work on in a childrenâs 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.