Jelena Dimitrijevic
Encyclopedia
Jelena Dimitrijević was a short story writer, novelist, poet
, traveller, social worker, feminist, and a polyglot
. Almost forgotten today, she was one of the most remarkable women of her age, along with her contemporaries, poets Draga Dejanović (1840-1871) and Danica Marković, and writers Isidora Sekulić
and Milica Janković.
on the 27th of March 1862, and featured as a prominent Serbian
writer of the late 19th- and early 20th-century. She taught herself to speak French, English, Russian, Italian, Greek and Turkish.
Jelena Dimitrijević travelled widely, describing her experiences of Greece, India, Egypt and America in a series of books. She devoted her energies in quite early life (1881-1898) to the study of Muslim
women, and published in 1897 her Pesme iz Nisa o haremima. The principal feature of Dimitrijević's erudition was the vastness of the field which it embraced. She was involved in humaniterian and educational work for women, and the main focus of her interest is the Muslim women she met in southern Serbia
and Salonica.
Among her achivements were gaining an understanding of the lives of Turkish women, including access to the private world of the harem
, and undertaking a journey round the world in her sixities. Such portraits are valuable counter to the narrow conceptions of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century feminism which see it firmly rooted in north-west Europe and North America. Her most important novel Nove (New Women); deals with the dilemmas facing educated Muslim women in the twentieth century in relation to their traditional way of life. For Nove Dimitrijevic won the prestigious Matica Srpska
prize for literature in 1912.
She also wrote lyric poetry as well as novels, but is possibly most famous for her Pisma iz Nisa o Haremima / Letters from Niš Regarding Harems (1897), a semi-fictionalised, semi-historical, anthropological narrative containing portraits of life in the Turkish harem
s 50 years before her birth when the south-Serbian city of Niš
was still a part of the Ottoman Empire
, and Pisma iz Soluna / Letters from Salonica, a genuine travelogue from the Ottoman Empire during the Young Turk Revolution
in 1908, of which Salonica was the centre. The Letters were published first in Srpski književni glasnik (Serbian Literary Review) in 1880-09, and then as a separate book in 1918 in Sarajevo
.
She also wrote Pisma iz Indije / Letters from India in 1928, Pisma iz Misira / Letters from Egypt in 1929, and Novi svet ili u Americi godinu dana / The New World, alias: In America for a Year in 1934.
Along with Isidora Sekulić
, Jelena Dimitrijević is one of the first feminist authors in Serbia
. She died in Belgrade
on the 10th of April 1945.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, traveller, social worker, feminist, and a polyglot
Polyglot
Polyglot may refer to:*Polyglot , someone who uses many languages*Polyglot , a book that contains the same text in more than one language*Polyglot , a computer program that is valid in more than one programming language...
. Almost forgotten today, she was one of the most remarkable women of her age, along with her contemporaries, poets Draga Dejanović (1840-1871) and Danica Marković, and writers Isidora Sekulić
Isidora Sekulic
Isidora Sekulić was a famous Serbian prose writer, novelist, essayist, adventurer, polyglot and art critic....
and Milica Janković.
Biography
She was born in KruševacKruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
on the 27th of March 1862, and featured as a prominent Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
writer of the late 19th- and early 20th-century. She taught herself to speak French, English, Russian, Italian, Greek and Turkish.
Jelena Dimitrijević travelled widely, describing her experiences of Greece, India, Egypt and America in a series of books. She devoted her energies in quite early life (1881-1898) to the study of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
women, and published in 1897 her Pesme iz Nisa o haremima. The principal feature of Dimitrijević's erudition was the vastness of the field which it embraced. She was involved in humaniterian and educational work for women, and the main focus of her interest is the Muslim women she met in southern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Salonica.
Among her achivements were gaining an understanding of the lives of Turkish women, including access to the private world of the harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
, and undertaking a journey round the world in her sixities. Such portraits are valuable counter to the narrow conceptions of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century feminism which see it firmly rooted in north-west Europe and North America. Her most important novel Nove (New Women); deals with the dilemmas facing educated Muslim women in the twentieth century in relation to their traditional way of life. For Nove Dimitrijevic won the prestigious Matica Srpska
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska is the oldest cultural-scientific institution of Serbia. Matica srpska was founded in 1826 in Budapest and moved to Novi Sad in 1864....
prize for literature in 1912.
She also wrote lyric poetry as well as novels, but is possibly most famous for her Pisma iz Nisa o Haremima / Letters from Niš Regarding Harems (1897), a semi-fictionalised, semi-historical, anthropological narrative containing portraits of life in the Turkish harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
s 50 years before her birth when the south-Serbian city of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
was still a part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and Pisma iz Soluna / Letters from Salonica, a genuine travelogue from the Ottoman Empire during the Young Turk Revolution
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
in 1908, of which Salonica was the centre. The Letters were published first in Srpski književni glasnik (Serbian Literary Review) in 1880-09, and then as a separate book in 1918 in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
She also wrote Pisma iz Indije / Letters from India in 1928, Pisma iz Misira / Letters from Egypt in 1929, and Novi svet ili u Americi godinu dana / The New World, alias: In America for a Year in 1934.
Along with Isidora Sekulić
Isidora Sekulic
Isidora Sekulić was a famous Serbian prose writer, novelist, essayist, adventurer, polyglot and art critic....
, Jelena Dimitrijević is one of the first feminist authors in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. She died in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
on the 10th of April 1945.
Sources
- First reprint of a book by Jelena Dimitrijević since WW II:
- Hawkesworth, Celia, Voices in the Shadows: Women and Verbal Art in Serbia and Bosnia, published by Central European University Press (Budapest, New York, 2000).