Alija H. Dubočanin passed away: In his last interview for NAP, he spoke about going to Him!

(Patria) - Prominent Bosnian-Herzegovinian writer Alija Hasagić-Dubočanin died today in Sarajevo at the age of 70. He was a versatile writer whose work includes novels, novellas, short stories, poems, and essays. His poems and stories have been included in numerous readers and anthologies, and his works have long been an indispensable part of mandatory school reading material.

One of the last interviews he gave was to the news agency Patria last year. When asked by journalists what he was writing about now and if there was any creative desire left unwritten, Dubočanin said at the time:

“I would like to promote my three new books here, as I haven't promoted them anywhere. One is called ‘Svetice iz Sarajeva’ (Saints of Sarajevo). The second is called ‘Divlji jezik’ (Wild Language), and the third is  ‘Pjesme i molitve’ (Poems and Prayers).  It's all poetry. It all came after ‘Zimzeleni jezik’ (Evergreen Language). Sidran spoke about it. He knew what he was talking about.

Imagine a writer, one who truly is a writer, not just a creator, living for 700 years. He would have something to write about his entire life. Because the whole world, with all its questions and contradictions, with its huge and small misunderstandings, with human suffering caused by humans themselves, with its rare beauties and ascents, with its falls and stumbles, all of this is the writer's theme.
Man is an inexhaustible theme for a writer. Life is so vast and magical that thousands of writers over a thousand years have work to do. Therefore, despite having written thirty different titles, Alija H. Dubočanin is always at the beginning of his literary endeavors.

Do you know that one written poem does not help another poem to be written at all? Just as no lived life helps another life to be lived at all. These are very subtle themes that we rarely deal with in interviews. Only those who go towards Him will reach the goal!”.

He received numerous literary awards for his works - the "Neven" award for the collection of short stories "Brod na vidiku" (Ship on the Horizon), the October Poetry Gathering award for the book "Vatre na rijeci" (Fires on the River), the "Bosanska riječ" publishing house award for the poetry collection "Pamćenje vode" (Memory of Water), and he is a multiple winner of first prizes for short stories. Many will remember him for the story "Šarko", which is part of student readers.

The funeral of Alija Hasagić-Dubočanin will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at the Bare city cemetery at 2:30 PM.