Vitomir "Vito" Nikolić (April 27, 1934 – September 10, 1994) was a Montenegrin poet

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...

 and journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

.

Background

Originally from Nikšić

Nikšić

Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...

, Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

, he was born in Mostar

Mostar

Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...

, Bosnia-Herzegovina, then part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...

, where his father served in the army. In 1941, he emigrated back to Nikšić with his family. After his father and brother had been killed in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he lived in an orphanage until he turned 18. He spent most of his life in Nikšić, living in poverty, and was well known for his bohemian

Bohemian

A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...

 lifestyle.

Works

Vito published his first two books of poetry, "Drumovanja" (Journeys) and "Sunce, hladno mi je" (Sun, I am cold) without a publisher, hence paying for the costs of their production. Although he had some conflicts with socialist Yugoslav government, the government gave him a flat in Nikšić. Afterwards, he moved from Nikšić to Titograd, where he worked as a journalist for Pobjeda

Pobjeda

Pobjeda is a Montenegrin newspaper. Having been published for 66 years, it is the oldest Montenegrin newspaper still in circulation. It is the oldest Montenegrin active media, too....

, writing short stories under the title "Crnom Gorom, putem i bespućem". Some of his poems for children became notable, and are included in the literature books for elementary and high school students.

In 2002, some of Nikolić's prose writings were collected and published in a book "Dobri duh Nikšića" (The Good Spirit of Nikšić).

Legacy

Following his death, a "Vito Nikolić Award" for poetry has been established in Montenegro. The award is being presented annually, during the "September days", a cultural manifestation hosted by the city of Nikšić.
In 2002, Montenegrin writer and journalist Đorđe Puśo Matović with whom Vito worked in Pobjeda, published a book of anecdotes from poet's life, titled "S Vitom na još po jednu" (Another round [of drinks] with Vito).

Published works

• Drumovanja (1962)
• Sunce, hladno mi je (1968)
• Stihovi (1981)
• Stare i nove pjesme (1991)
• Posljednja pjesma (1994)
• Nedjelja u gradu N (1997), published posthumously
• Dobri duh Nikšića (2002), published posthumously