Interview: Katarina Sarić

17.03.2021

Katarina Sarić is a renown Montenegrin writer with a higly unique voice, who has been focusing on the themes of equality and emancipation of marginalised identities. Here she shares with us a few thoughts regarding her art and creative roots.

When did you first discover the talent for writing?

It was when I was very young, almost a girl. But my earliest experience in that respect was with my dad, who actually considered it as unserios, and wanted for me to turn to something else, more economic and usefull. As a result, I stopped writing for a long time.

What poetry means to you personally?

I again started writing poetry as a middle aged woman. It was an experience that broke through all my inner fears and unsecurities. I liberated myself through poetry, even though I had already published two novels before that. Today I can say that poetry made me into a woman.

How would you describe your poetry?

My poetry is very deeply intimate but also with a very strong social engagement, because I am daily engaged in a struggle with prejudices, such as cultural differences, with lack of justice, freedom of speech, equality of voices of men and women.

As one of the most engaged Montengrin poets and unique poetry performers, how do you see the modern poetry scene in Montengro?

The modern scene in Montenegro, is practically inexistent. One reason for that is because we still have a strong community of male writers, as well as national communities that supports traditional forms with motives from national amd epic history. We also don’t really have a scene for alternative performances, because we are still a traditional patriarchal society.

Do you consider yourself a feminist writer and how do you see the position of women in literature today?

In my country I am a feminist writer, simply because of all my fight for equality. As I gave already noted, it is not only a struggle for female voices but also for all kinds of different and marginalized representations, including cultural, LGBTQ and national minorities. Position of women in world literature today is much different than in my country. Out there there are lots of strong female voices that finally break through falocentric form.

Is your poetry influenced by some particular poet, social or literary movement?

As a young woman, because of the civil war that left a deep influence on my personality. I started to read revolutionary poets, such as Majakovski, Marina Cvetajeva and Lorka. Most probably it was that impact that shaped my own voice in the latter time.

How has the pandemic affected you as a woman and poet and how do you think it impacted globally other writers and poets. Do you think we live in a new era?

The pandemic created a new situation, more virtual than it already has been, with all the internet communication, such as poetry events on zoom application, skype readings and so on. I find that aspect positive. Thanks to new technology we can connect with poets from all the world. However, live performances, poetry festivals cannot be replaced by technology. Connectiones and interactions with the audience is something that we badly need. I hope that it is just a phase, and not some permanent state.

How do you see your future writing career?

I will continue to write and act as a freelancer, for sure. Especially because of the prejudices in my country, that I was telling you about. And as long as it is necessary, until the voices of women become equal to the voices of men.

By: Ana Stjelja

In addition to the interview, Enfant Sauvage is proud to present you a poem, which Katarina Sarić performed at this year's "Speaking Up", a festival of Versopolis & Creative Europe, where she represented "Alia Mundi", Organization for cultural diversity. The poem was translated by Marija Krivokapić.

SHELL

When stretched under the bark

she

whose womb is torn up by her sons

and the fear has gone from

woman

mother

life

I will collect the hem of the pleated dress

and will sew in a new heart

to suit a solemn affair

as sewed on

this face and this picture

sick from anemia

-I need air

the cast of mining shaft

is recast in the last

cycle of alchemy

dried out tears from the cradle

When the sea spits out

the last bones of the domesticates fossils

I will be sitting on the beach

plucking stones from stones

positioned as the postcard girl

in that cliche

stuck

and unavoidably dreamy

in white

with that lovelock over the brow

smoothed down

I will pose in the glory of innocence

of the new birth

while, actually, I would want to scream

and destroy the frame

-I need air

under Heracles' stairways

the Greek tragedians who glorified patricide

rape of

mother

earth

woman

justified it as ignorance

dead is my shame

and no-one came

to its burrial

it went straight to spam

When she gets up and streches

dusty

raped

ragged

scratched

earth

mother

woman

in the last cry

of epic storm

who stays breathless

When father and brother and friend are gone

I will come back to that old place of ours

under the Iron bridge

I will cut out from cement the names long engraved

take them away

to Africa

I will become the ring of time

a verse

that closes the circle

away from the land of our ancestors