Photo: Natasha Atanasova
“The poems of Biljana Stojanovska are small condensed truths. They are powerful in their simplicity and unpretentiousness, written in everyday language but with a clearly developed and recognizable style,” says poet Gjoko Zdraveski about Stojanovska’s poetics.
Biography
Biljana Stojanovska was born in 1984. She graduated from the Faculty of Philology “Blaze Koneski” in Skopje, majoring in Macedonian literature and South Slavic literatures. In 2015, she published her first poetry collection “Words Have No Meaning” published by “Antolog”. She is the recipient of the literary award “Todor Chalovski” in 2017 for her book “An Apartment Falling Apart” (2018, “Galikul”). “An Apartment Falling Apart” was shortlisted for the national poetry award “Miladinovci Brothers”, awarded by the “Struga Poetry Evenings”. Her third book, “While You Sleep,” was published in 2024 by “Strange Forest.” “While You Sleep” was also shortlisted for the “Miladinovci Brothers” award. Her poetry has been translated into English, German, Chinese, Serbian, Polish, and Slovenian, and has been featured in various literary magazines and anthologies. Stojanovska is one of the founders of the “Skopje Poetry Festival.”
Outstanding title:
WHILE YOU SLEEP (2024)
As in the previous two books by Stojanovska, the poems in “While You Sleep” are untitled, or rather titled with numbers from 1 to 30, divided into two cycles, totaling 60 poems. The symbolism of the subtitles, with the first part titled “Takeoff” and the second “Flight with One Wing,” is also multi-layered. The motif of dreams intertwined with harsh reality are the key drivers in this poetics.
No. of pp: 73
Awards and honors:
Shortlisted for the “Miladinov Brothers” Award of the Struga Poetry Evenings (2024)
Rights:
Biljana Stojanovska
+389 72 319 004
biljana610@gmail.com
Latest title:
A QUEST FOR COURAGE (2024)
Ilustrator: Vladimir Lukash
The little swallow, Verka, is the last of the swallows in the nest who still hasn’t learned to fly. After her mother tells her she needs to find the courage to take flight, Verka sets off on a quest. A quest for courage.
No. of pp: 24
Rights:
Strange Forest Publishing Group
+389 70 383 061
biljana.crvenkovska@id-concept.mk
info@cudnasuma.com
info@id-concept.mk