We were delighted to take part in the third major promotion of the novel Metohijski sfumato Filipović, held on September 25 in Gračanica.
In front of a packed gallery at the House of Culture, the book was presented by His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, Professor Valentina Pitulić, writer Miroslav Aleksić, the author herself, and Marija Vasić on behalf of HO Kosovsko Pomoravlje.
About the Book
As co-publishers of this remarkable work, we are proud of its exceptional importance for contemporary Serbian literature, language, and art in general. The literary and artistic achievements of Metohijski Sfumato were passionately discussed during the event
A Book of Deep Devotion to Kosovo
“Everything we can find in this book—so many incredible stories about us—the characters are portraits on the sfumato made up of Kosovo and Metohija. They are behind us, with us, or perhaps the very grave we will lie in. As one heroine says, when asked how she endures it all: ‘This is not something you endure, this is something you live.’” – Miroslav Aleksić
–“Moving through the labyrinth of Serbian folk tradition and folklore, which Dušica skillfully wove into her book, one cannot miss the recurring motif of weaving. Thread, yarn, and the act of weaving—so important in women’s cultural memory—are transformed into text. I often wondered if this came from her grandmother’s stories or from books, because she perfectly captured the genre of folk tradition. Into this archetypal Serbian word—‘weaving’—she has hidden the very secret of her writing.” – Valentina Pitulić
Art Transforms Reality
“God created the world through words. The Word was from the beginning, and the art of poetic creation is the liberation of that inner word, the discovery of our meaning that longs for its Creator. True art transforms the world—and this book transforms the world.” – Bishop Ilarion Lupulović
The audience was diverse—young and old, monks, priests, professors, cultural workers, and media representatives. A large number of visitors also came from Kosovo Pomoravlje, to which a significant part of the book is dedicated. This extraordinary evening in Gračanica left a strong impression of freedom, meaning, and striving toward beauty and the sublime, despite the reality that surrounds us.
