Poet Profile

Olivera Šijački

Olivera Šijački graduated from the Philosophical Faculty, writes short stories, poetry, and haiku, and translates from Russian and Macedonian. Her works have been translated in English, German, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Romanian, Macedonian, Mongolian, and Panjabi. She is one of the founders of the Women’s Haiku Group in Novi Sad.

Books Published: Glance to the Left, Then to the Right (Bookland: Beograd, 2004); I Will Be Late for Holiday (Srpska čitaonica, Irig, 1996); Horseman and the Steppe [anthology of Mongol poetry] (Omladinski centar medjunardonog prijateljstva: Novi Sad, 1986); The Luster of the Rock [anthology of Armenian poetry] (Intelekta: Valjevo, 1997); The Eyes of Plain [Poetry of Vojvodina’s Poetesses] (Stražilovo“ i „Novosadski otvoreni univerzitet: Novi Sad, 1998); The Glow of the Plain [a collection of Haiku poetry from the four members of the Women’s Haiku Group in Novi Sad; edited by Travelling Haiku Fellowship] (SFERA: Novi Sad, 2008).

When a bird flew away
from my window –
only the song remains.

I crossed the bridge—
on the other shore
the silence awaits me.

In my room
dust is the only
part of nature.

Look, on the tree
dolls instead of flowers –
my childhood.

Look, how long
the butterfly’s flight is
over the ripe wheat fields.

The wind is blowing
the leaves and my mind
down the long street.

Credits: "When a bird flew away" - Haiku Moment 1 [Editor & Publisher: Zoran Doderovic, Novi Sad] (Autumn-Winter 1997-1998); "In my room" - Haiku Moment 1 [Editor & Publisher: Zoran Doderovic, Novi Sad] (Autumn-Winter 1997-1998); "Look, how long" - Haiku Moment 1 [Editor & Publisher: Zoran Doderovic, Novi Sad] (Autumn-Winter 1997-1998); "I crossed the bridge" - Haiku Moment 2 [Editor & Publisher: Zoran Doderovic, Novi Sad] (Spring-Summer 1998); "Look, on the tree" - The Glow of the Plain [a collection of Haiku poetry from the four members of the Women’s Haiku Group in Novi Sad; edited by Travelling Haiku Fellowship] (SFERA: Novi Sad, 2008); "The wind is blowing" - The Glow of the Plain [a collection of Haiku poetry from the four members of the Women’s Haiku Group in Novi Sad; edited by Travelling Haiku Fellowship] (SFERA: Novi Sad, 2008).