Novels
Satovi u majčinoj sobi (2014)
Clocks In My Mother’s Room
European Union Prize for Literature 2016
This is a story about a mother and a daughter, and about the life of women in the former Yugoslavia: the mother is a mirror through which the heroine tries to find her past and understand herself in the modern world, by returning to the very beginning, to her idyllic childhood home on the Dalmatian coast.
The heroine/narrator identifies herself as a novelist, and her alter ego, Ana, splits the main character into two, thus opening a dual expressive space, allowing for links between different interpersonal relationships, romantic experiences and periods of time. Memories are pieced together like a mosaic and the novel becomes a choir of ancestors, previously ignored and suppressed.
This story about women in peacetime and in wars that marked the region examines the ignored role of women in great historical upheavals, which can routinely assign them the role of passive observers with no right to interfere with the ‘great’ story of war and politics.
Against the backdrop of mothers and daughters, the novel deals with refuge, homelessness and a sense of not belonging. The narrator is stuck between two states, two lives, two loves, two unfinished books: this duality tears her apart, while she wears socially acceptable masks to heal her sudden removal from her childhood comforts. Writing and literature become her only home and sanctuary, where her partitioned self can finally become one and whole.
Otkako sam kupila labuda (2019)
Since I Bought A Swan
Vital Award “Zlatni Suncokret”
An irresistible novel exploring love and separation.
In Since I Bought a Swan, Tanja Stupar Trifunović weaves a powerful and complex tale of forbidden love and the intensity of passion. The characters’ actions are deeply grounded in their realities—caught between the harshness of modern life, the conflict of desire versus inner needs, and the tension between love and societal taboos.
The heroines are intricately connected, caught in a dynamic exchange of passion and tension, love and resentment, conflict and harmony, as well as their inner needs versus spoken and unspoken fears. Their relationship reveals not only the wonder of love and desire but also reflects the anxieties of contemporary life and the deep generational divides.
Through sharp and compelling dialogue, the novel builds an atmosphere of unresolved tension that grows increasingly gripping.
Duž oštrog noža leti ptica (2024)
Along A Sharp Knife A Bird Flies
Shortlisted for NIN Award
Tanja Stupar Trifunović’s most recent novel unfolds the harrowing story of a village ravaged by war, where the innocence of childhood is abruptly shattered by violence and loss. The narrative deeply examines the profound impact of the conflict on the daily lives, personal relationships, and psychological states of the villagers—particularly the children—who are forced to adapt and survive in an environment dominated by fear, uncertainty, and despair.
Through its vivid portrayal of war’s aftermath, the novel addresses the profound isolation experienced by those left behind, as well as the painful struggle to return to a home forever altered by destruction. Amidst the ruins and brutality, the characters grapple with their shattered realities while seeking remnants of humanity and hope in a world overshadowed by barbarism.
The story is a poignant reflection on resilience, trauma, and the enduring quest for connection in times of profound crisis.
Graphic Novels
More je bilo mirno (2020)
The Sea Was Calm
The graphic novel The Sea Was Calm stands as a prime example of how contemporary literature can be transformed into a vivid, dynamic form that highlights its strongest elements and adds a fresh dimension. With Tanja Stupar Trifunović crafting the script and Tatjana Vidojević providing the illustrations, they successfully challenge common misconceptions about comics and elevate the modern graphic novel to a new artistic level. The seamless integration of their contributions makes it difficult to discern where one creator’s work ends and the other’s begins—such a rare and flawless collaboration is nearly unparalleled.
The text on the panels is concise, poignant, and emotionally charged.
The story itself is deeply personal, dealing with themes of loss, disappointment, memories, and toxic relationships. The interplay between text and imagery is essential; only by experiencing both together can readers fully immerse themselves in the unified narrative and its message.
From the perspectives of literary and comics criticism, The Sea Was Calm is a remarkable achievement. The synergy between the two creators results in an extraordinary fusion, devoid of any sense of division, making the graphic novel feel like the product of a single, unified artistic vision rather than a collaborative effort. (From the review by comic book critic Nikola Dragomirović.)
Short Stories
Adornova svraka (2007)
Adorno’s Magpie
The stories in this book do not captivate through sensational plots or complex twists, nor do they draw us in with enigmatic characters or mysterious narratives. Instead, their power lies in the defamiliarization of ordinary things and the profound poetic symbolism that unfolds across the deeper layers of the text—moving beyond the surface narrative into second and third levels of meaning. This creates a delicate balance between the realistic prose world and its partial subversion, situated within a postmodern framework emerging from the text’s underlying subtext.
While the symbolic intensity is somewhat tempered in parts of these stories, it primarily functions as a subtle potential, inviting self-reflection through the interplay of micro-narrative elements within the overall story structure. These narratives paint a picture of a real world that feels disconnected from the fast-paced, technologically driven present—a world marked by ethnic frustration and intense social strain.
Poetry
Kuća od slova (1999)
The House Made Out of Letters
Tanja Stupar doesn’t simply write about fundamental elements and their details; she reorganizes them into a new system of relationships, giving each element a distinct voice and sound. This is why she refers to “letter of fire,” “letter of earth,” “letter of water,” and “letter of air.”
Although poetry is often an exploration into the unknown—especially for a young or emerging poet—her debut collection reveals that she understands how naivety can only lead to dead ends, and how the allure of poetry might result in a long, fruitless journey. This awareness helped Stupar avoid early missteps in her use of language and approach to poetry.
Ultimately, literary success or failure is determined and revealed by the book itself—the “house made out of letters.”
— Milan Trbović
Uspostavljanje ravnoteže (2002)
Establishing the Balance
It’s a gift to have a collection like this—to let ourselves be carried by its quiet inner wanderings. Through it, we realize we are not alone. There is a presence—moving through free verse—that guides us between angels and demons. Both are part of the world. We must come to terms with this, even as we continue to question whether angels exist at all and where the demons come from.
If angels do exist, they seem bewildered by people—confused, even hoping for help from us—as if they are more helpless and hopeless than we are. And demons? Their fatal presence lurks everywhere. They are never confused. They arrive, press forward, and take everything as if it already belongs to them.
These poems serve as a kind of guide or map of a world in which, alongside good and evil, there is always also… nothingness. It may not be a powerful guide or a detailed map, but within it lies a quiet principle of survival: to find balance, to overlook no burden, no glimmer of life. In nearly every poem by Tanja Stupar Trifunović, we feel the presence of this principle. With its resonance and quiet pulse, her voice comforts us and calls out, and we respond with a welcome—to a voice that arrives fully formed on its very second step, already mature and deeply valuable.
— Jovica Aćin
O čemu misle varvari dok doručkuju (2008)
What Do Barbarians Think About While Having Breakfast
UniCredit Bank Award
Shortlisted for CEE Literature Award
The title itself is a sardonic reflection on the absurdity of everyday life in a society grappling with the aftermath of conflict.
The collection intertwines themes of gender, identity, and the disillusionment of post-war existence. Tanja Stupar Trifunović employs a blend of dark humor and sharp cynicism to depict the existential void left in the wake of war. Her poetry delves into the complexities of personal and collective trauma, offering a poignant commentary on the human condition in a fractured society.
O čemu misle varvari dok doručkuju is not just a poetic exploration of post-war period; it is a universal reflection on the absurdities of human existence and the search for meaning in a world that often seems devoid of it.
Glavni junak je čovjek koji se zaljubljuje u nesreću (2010)
The Main Protagonist is The Man Who Falls In Love With Misfortune
“Fra Grgo Martić” Award
Tanja Stupar Trifunović’s poetry collection Glavni junak je čovjek koji se zaljubljuje u nesreću (The Main Protagonist is the Man Who Falls in Love with Misfortune) was published in 2010 by the Fra Grgo Martić Foundation.
This collection delves into themes of love, loss, and the intricate dynamics of human relationships. Stupar Trifunović’s poetry is known for its raw honesty and emotional depth, often addressing the personal and collective traumas experienced in post-war societies.
Razmnožavanje domaćih životinja (2018)
Reproduction of The Domestic Animals
“Risto Ratković” Award
“Milica Stojadinović Srpkinja” Award
With her poetry collection The Reproduction of Domestic Animals, Tanja Stupar Trifunović once again affirms her poetic authenticity within Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the region united by a single language under various names.
This book embodies Kafka’s assertion that literature should be an axe that breaks the frozen sea within us. Her latest poems do not seek to comfort the reader; instead, they offer a tender brutality in which poetic truth unfolds through long, narrative-driven verse.
The entire collection is imbued with a Herbert-like spirit of play and irony, blending monotheism with paganism, and casting figures from Greek mythology into the mud and monotony of contemporary life. These mythological characters are humanized and endowed with the imperfect charm of the small Balkan man or woman, resulting in a powerful irony laced with humor.
This is a book about the women of our region—their courage, their daily triumphs and defeats. It reads as a catalogue of female destinies, suffused with the wisdom of someone who continues to seek love despite inevitable losses.
— Faruk Šehić
Mjesta gdje sve počinje ispočetka (2019)
Places Where Everything Begins Again
Tanja Stupar Trifunović’s poetry does the most it can to dispel the deeply rooted, traditional skepticism toward the significance and value of the female experience. It summons every possible testament to the artistic worth of the female perspective and the tragic depths of women’s internal conflicts.
However, it achieves this quietly and without fanfare—simply, directly, and unpretentiously—just as the poet describes herself in an interview:
“I think I’m like other women in every way. It’s silly to pretend to be something I’m not because within me lies all the tragedy and comedy of the human being, sometimes magnificent, sometimes fragile and pitiful.”
— Vladislava Gordić Petković
Zmijštak (2022)
“Vasko Popa” Award
This poetry collection forms a meticulously crafted whole, composed of a series of outstanding poems. Within this unity, each poem enriches and interacts dynamically with the others. Much like each poem takes the shape of a story, the entire book unfolds a subtle, underlying narrative.
From the intimate realm of emotions—expressed with both power and subtlety—to the restless portrayal of a homeland that defies any simple definition, Stupar Trifunović presents a sharply critical vision of society. It is a world where post-truth has replaced truth, where conquerors stand before cities while defeat resides within each of us. In this reality, freedom has lost its value and permanence, and the individual continually faces a fundamental challenge.
