Lidija Dimkovska Explained

Lidija Dimkovska (Macedonian: Лидија Димковска), born 1971, is a Macedonian poet, novelist and translator. She was born in Skopje and studied comparative literature at the University of Skopje. She proceeded to obtain a PhD in Romanian literature at the University of Bucharest. She has taught Macedonian language and literature at the University of Bucharest and world literature at the University of Nova Gorica in Slovenia. Dimkovska was also an editor at Blesok, the online Macedonian literary journal. She now lives in Ljubljana, working as a freelance writer and translator of Romanian and Slovenian literature. She has dual Macedonian/Slovenian citizenship.

Work

In her native Macedonian language Lidija Dimkovska has published seven books of poetry, three novels, one American diary, and one collection of short stories. She has edited an anthology of young Macedonian poetry, an anthology of contemporary Slovenian poetry in Macedonian, and two anthologies of contemporary minority and migrant writing in Slovenia. Lidija Dimkovska's books have been translated into 15 languages (English, German, Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, Czech, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, French, Croatian, Italian, Albanian, Bulgarian and Latvian).

She has taken part in numerous international literary festivals and has been a writer-in-residence in Iowa, London, Berlin, Vienna, Bucharest, Graz, Salzburg, Krems, Tirana, Okinawa, and Split.

Between 2016 and 2019, Lidija Dimkovska served as the president of the jury for the Vilenica International Literary Prize in Slovenia, and between 2013 and 2016 she was a member of the international jury for the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award in Warsaw, Poland.

Poems, excerpts from her novels, essays, interviews and reviews about her books have appeared in The Times Literary Supplement,^[1] American Poetry Review,^[2] World Literature Today,^[3] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,^[4] The Rumpus,^[5] Tin House,^[6] The Paris Review,^[7] The Literary Hub,^[8] Foreword,^[9] The White Review,^[10] Asymptote,^[11] Publishers Weekly,^[12] BBC World Service, Words Without Borders,^[13] Columbia Journal,^[14] Los Angeles Review,^[15] Boston Review^[16] and Poetry International, among other publications.

Poetry

Рожби од Исток^[17] – 1992 ('Offspring from the East', together with Boris Cavkoski, Studentski Zbor Award for the Best Debut Poetry Book)

Огнот на буквите – 1994 ('The Fire of the Letters')

Изгризани нокти – 1998 ('Bitten Nails')

Нобел против Нобел – 2001 ('Nobel versus Nobel')

Идеална тежина^[18] – 2008 ('Ideal Weight', selected poetry)

pH неутрална за животот и смртта^[19] – 2009 ('pH Neutral for Life and Death')

Црно на бело^[20] – 2016 ('In Black and White')

Гранична состојба^{[21] [22]} – 2021 ('Boundary Situation', Miladinov Brothers Award for the Best Macedonian Poetry Book)

Poetry in translation

In English:

• Do Not Awaken Them With Hammers^[23] (poetry in English translation by Ljubica Arsovska and Peggy Reid, Ugly Duckling Press, NY, USA, 2006)
• pH Neutral History^[24] (selected poetry in English translation by Ljubica Arsovska and Peggy Reid, Copper Canyon Press, USA, 2012, shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award 2013)
• What Is It Like? (selected poetry in English translation by Ljubica Arsovska, Patricia Marsh and Peggy Reid, Wrecking Ball, Hull, the UK, 2021^[25]) One of World Literature Today's 75 Notable Translations of 2022^[26])

In German:

• Anständiges Mädchen^[27] ('Decent Girl', selected poems, translated into German by Alexander Sitzmann, Edition Korrespondenzen, Vienna, Austria, 2010, nomination for Brücke Berlin Preis^[28] 2012, Germany)
• Schwarz auf Weiss^[29] ('In Black and White'), poetry, translated into German by Alexander Sitzmann, Parasitenpresse, Köln, Germany,^[30] 2019)

In French:

• Comment c'est et Autres Poèmes^[31] ('What is it like? and Other Poems', selected poetry translated into French by Harita Wybrands, Voix Vives et Al Manar, France, 2018)

In Romanian:

• Meta-Spânzurare de Meta-Tei^[32] ('Meta- of Meta-Linden', selected poems translated into Romanian by Constantin Abăluță, Ioana Ieronim, Dagmar Maia Anoca and the author, Vinea, Bucharest, 2001, Poesis Poetry Award, Satu Mare, Romania)
• Diferentă^[33] ('Difference', selected poems translated in Romanian by Constantin Abăluță, Ioana Ieronim, Dagmar Maia Anoca and the author, Tracus Arte, Bucharest, 2012)

In Slovenian:

• Nobel Proti Nobelu^[34] ('Nobel vs. Nobel', translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Center za slovensko književnost, Ljubljana, 2004)
• pH Neutralna za Življenje in Smrt ('pH Neutral for Life and Death', translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Cankarjeva založba, Ljubljana, 2012)
• Črno na Belem^[35] ('In Black and White', translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Cankarjeva založba, Ljubljana, 2017)

In Croatian:

• Кako je To?^[36] ('What is it like?', selected poetry in Croatian translation by Borjana Prošev-Oliver, Sandorf, Zagreb, 2022)

In Polish:

• pH Neutralna Wobec Žycia i Šmierci ('pH Neutral for Life and Death', poetry, translated into Polish by Danuta Cirlic Straszynska, Słowo Obraz Terytoria, Gdansk, Poland, 2015, nomination for the Poet of Freedom Award, Gdansk, Poland^[37])

In Serbian:

• Најближе Најдаљем^[38] ('Closest to the Most Distant', selected poetry, translated into Serbian by Duško Novaković, KOV, Vršac, Serbia, Petru Krdu European Prize for Poetry 2016^[39])

In Albanian:

• Tash Dhe Ketu^[40] ('Here and Now', selected poetry translated into Albanian by Clirim Qormemeti, Ditet e Naimit, Tetovo, North Macedonia, 2021, Naim Frasheri International Poetry Award)

Prose

Скриена камера ('Hidden Camera') novel, 2004Резервен живот ('A Spare Life') novel, 2012Но-Уи ('Non-Oui') novel, 2016 Кога заминав од Карл Либкнехт ('When I left Karl Liebknecht') collection of short stories, 2019

Prose in translation

In English:

A Spare Life,^{[41] [42]} novel, translated into English by Christina E. Kramer, Two Lines Press, San Francisco, the USA, 2016, longlisted for Best Translated Book Award^[43] 2017

In German:

Reserveleben^[44] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into German by Alexander Sitzmann, Litterae Slovenicae, Ljubljana, Slovenia/Drava, Graz, Austria, 2021)

In Polish:

Skrita Kamera^[45] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Polish by Danuta Cirlic-Straszynska, založba PIW, Warsaw, Poland, 2010)

Non-Oui^[46] ('Non-Oui', novel, translated into Polish by Danuta Cirlic Straszynska, Bibliotek Analiz, Warsaw, Poland, 2019)

In Italian: Vita di Scorta ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Italian by Mariangela Biancofiore, Atmosphere Libri, Rim, Italia, 2017)

In Romanian:

Viata de Rezerva^[47] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Romanian by Octavian Blenchea, Casa cartii de stiinta, Cluj, Romania, 2019)

Camera Ascunsa^[48] ('Hidden Camera'), novel, translated into Romanian by Octavian Blenchea, Minerva, Bucharest, Romania, 2020)

In Slovenian:

Skrita Kamera^{[49] [50]} ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Cankarjeva, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2006)

Rezervno Življenje^[51] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Modrijan, Ljubljana. Slovenia, 2014)

Non-Oui^[52] ('Non-Oui', novel, translated into Slovenian by Aleš Mustar, Modrijan, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2019)

In Croatian: Rezervni Život^[53] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Croatian by Borislav Pavlovski, Ljevak, Zagreb, Croatia, 2016) Skrivena Kamera^[54] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Croatian by Borjana Prošev Oliver, VBZ, Zagreb, Croatia,2017)

Non-Oui^[55] ('Non-Oui', novel, translated into Croatian by Borjana Prošev Oliver, VBZ, Zagreb, Croatia, 2019)

Kad Smo Napuštili Karla Liebknechta^[56] ('When we left Karl Liebknecht', collection of short stories translated into Croatian by Borjana Prošev Oliver, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia, 2021)

In Bulgarian:

Скрита Камера ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Bulgarian by Aleksandra Liven, Balkani, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2010)

Резервен Живот ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Bulgarian by Božidar Manev, Kolibri, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2014)

Но-Уи^[57] ('Non-Oui', novel, translated into Bulgarian by Božidar Manev, Kolibri, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2019)

In Slovak:

Skryta Kamera^[58] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Slovak by Vera Prokesova, Kalligram, Bratislava, Slovak Republik, 2007)

In Czech: Nahradni Život^[59] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Czech by Katerina Dimovska and Bohuslav Valek, Vetrne Mliny, Brno, Check Republik, 2016)

In Latvian:

Slepta Kamera^[60] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Latvian by Ingmara Blode, Mansards, Riga, Latvia, 2018)

In Serbian: Скривена Камера^[61] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Serbian by Uroš Pajić, Agora, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2016)

Резервни Живот^[62] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Serbian by Milenko and Uroš Pajić, Agora, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2015)

In Albanian:

Kamera e Fshehte^[63] ('Hidden Camera', novel, translated into Albanian by Milena Selimi, Tirana Times, Tirana, Albania, 2019)

Jete Rezerve^[64] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Albanian by Miallaq Apostolofski, Ombra GVG, Tirana, Albania, 2022)

In Hungarian: Tartalek Elet^[65] ('A Spare Life', novel, translated into Hungarian by Anamaria Czinegi Panzova, Napkut Kiado, Budapest, Hungary, 2014)

Journals

Отаде Л. Американски дневник – 2017 (Beyond L. American Journal)

Anthologies

• 20.млади.м@к.поети.00^[66] ([e-mail].00, 2000)
• Современа словенечка поезија ('Contemporary Slovenian Poetry', 2013)
• Iz jezika v jezik^[67] ('From Language to Language', 2014)
• Biće bolje – Bože^[68] ('Things Will Get Better', 2019)

Awards and nominations

• Macedonian Writers' Association^[69] Award for the Best Prose Book of the Year for her novel 'Hidden Camera' (2005)
• Hubert-Burda-Preis für junge Lyrik (2009)
• Tudor Arghezi international poetry prize in Romania (2012)
• The Macedonian Writers' Association Award (2013)
• The EU Prize for Literature^[70] (2013)
• The Petru Krdu European Poetry Prize^[71] (2016)
• Brücke Berlin Preis (2013) (nominated)^[72] (2019)

*shortlisted for a cycle of five short stories from her short stories collection 'When I Left Karl Liebknecht' for the Specimen Prize 2020 (TO SPEAK EUROPE IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES)^[74] in Switzerland (2020)

• shortlisted for The Macedonian Writers' Association Award for the Best Prose Book of the Year for her short stories collection 'When I Left Karl Liebknecht' (2020)
• The Cup of Immortality Award, Slovenia (2020)
• the Macedonian/Albanian Naim Frasheri International Poetry Award“Naim Frasheri”(2020)
• Браќа Миладиновци (Miladinov Brothers Award) of the Struga International Poetry Evenings^[75] (2021)
• shortlisted for the Macedonian Ацо Шопов (Aco Šopov) Award for the Best Book of Poetry^[76] (2022)
• shortlisted for the MIRA Prize of the Slovenian PEN Centre (2022)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 'The Pet' by Lidija Dimkovska | Original Poem | the TLS .
2. Volume 32 No.02, March/April 2003 and Volume 40 No.04, July/August 2011 (the cover page and a special supplement, rarely dedicated to European poets)
3. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska .
4. News: Siamesisches Zwillingspaar in Mazedonien: Lidija Dimkovskas Roman "Reserveleben" . Faz.net . 2 November 2022 . Lehmkuhl . Tobias .
5. Web site: The Night is Itself a Novel: Talking with Lidija Dimkovska - the Rumpus.net . 29 November 2017 .
6. Web site: Tin House #69: Sex, Again? .
7. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska, Skopje, Macedonia . 6 September 2013 .
8. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska .
9. Web site: Foreword Reviews .
10. Web site: Interview with Lidija Dimkovska .
11. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska – Writer(s) – Asymptote Blog .
12. Web site: Books by Lidija Dimkovska and Complete Book Reviews .
13. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska .
14. http://columbiajournal.org/author/lidija-dimkovska/
15. Web site: Three Poems by Lidija Dimkovska . 16 November 2018 .
16. https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/microreview-dimkovska-awaken-hammers/
17. https://www.google.com/search?q=%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0+%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0+%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B1%D0%B8+%D0%BE%D0%B4+%D0%98%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BA&rlz=1C1YQLS_enSI1007SI1007&sxsrf=AJOqlzVJAIB79MnhbsNmRK1KCTq2eGsd8w:1678022036779&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7lbWb78T9AhV0QvEDHTKQBVUQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1424&bih=662&dpr=1.35#imgrc=8CU_wBfry8ESzM
18. https://www.google.com/search?q=%D0%98%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0+%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiWw6yB8MT9AhWzXqQEHXOJAbgQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=%D0%98%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0+%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJ1CdCFiLG2CRHWgAcAB4AIABV4gBrwmSAQIxNpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=apYEZJbmILO9kdUP85KGwAs&bih=662&biw=1424&rlz=1C1YQLS_enSI1007SI1007#imgrc=vudpLYQgF8BFKM
19. http://blesok.mk/arh/pdf/730d60a88bcef5a081615f3cf09d52934cd70fd0.pdf
20. Web site: "Црно на бело" на Димковска – документ на нашето време . 16 February 2016 .
21. Web site: Гранична состојба .
22. Web site: Гранична состојба | okno.mk .
23. Web site: Ugly Duckling Presse: Do Not Awaken Them with Hammers .
24. Web site: PH Neutral History by Lidija Dimkovska .
25. Web site: What is It Like? | .
26. Web site: World Literature Today's 75 Notable Translations of 2022, by Michelle Johnson .
27. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Anständiges Mädchen . 29 July 2020 .
28. Web site: Die Shortlist für den "Brücke Berlin Preis" 2012 | BuchMarkt . 19 March 2012 .
29. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Schwarz auf weiß . 23 June 2019 .
30. Web site: "Schwarz auf weiß" von Lidija Dimkovska, gelesen von Susanne Bormann .
31. https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lidija-Dimkovska/dp/2364262321
32. https://www.google.com/search?q=META-SP%C3%82NZURARE+DE+META-TEI++Dimkovska&rlz=1C1YQLS_enSI1007SI1007&sxsrf=AJOqlzX_5Bc6GIbhqhtVkNvYM7zMV95lcA:1678030908644&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJg-2hkMX9AhXiVPEDHc4MDk4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&cshid=1678030964537040&biw=1424&bih=662&dpr=1.35#imgrc=LMbEHmH1e1zzcM
33. Web site: Diferenţă – Editura Tracus Arte .
34. Web site: Untitled Document .
35. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Črno na belem .
36. Book: Sandorf: Izdanja Kako je to .
37. Web site: PH neutralna wobec życia i śmierci .
38. [:sr:Најближе најдаљем: изабрана поезија]
39. Web site: Димковској Европска награда за поезију "Петру Крду" .
40. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska (Maqedonia e Veriut) .
41. Web site: Goodreads .
42. http://www.forewordreviews.com
43. Web site: "A Spare Life" by Lidija Dimkovska [Why This Book Should Win] « Three Percent .
44. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Reserveleben. Roman - Perlentaucher .
45. Web site: Ukryta kamera .
46. Web site: Non-OUI .
47. Web site: O viaţă de rezervă | Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă . 2 April 2020 .
48. Web site: Camera ascunsa .
49. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Skrita kamera .
50. Web site: Skrita kamera .
51. Web site: Rezervno Življenje .
52. Web site: Non-OUI .
53. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: Rezervni život .
54. Web site: Skrivena kamera .
55. Web site: Non-OUI .
56. Web site: Kad smo napustili Karla Liebknechta .
57. Book: Но-Уи, Лидия Димковска .
58. Web site: Skrytá kamera - Lidija Dimkovska . 6 September 2007 .
59. Web site: Náhradní život - Lidija Dimkovska | Databáze knih .
60. Book: Slēptā kamera . 9789934121869 .
61. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska: SKRIVENA KAMERA .
62. Web site: Lidija dimkovska . 19 July 2018 .
63. Web site: Kamera e Fshehte .
64. Web site: Jete rezeve .
65. Book: Tartalék élet (Dimkovszka Lidija) .
66. Web site: Џуџето Скарбо .
67. Web site: Iz Jezika V Jezik: Antologija Sodobne Manjšinjske in Priseljenske Književnosti V Sloveniji - Spletna Knjigarna Buča .
68. Web site: BIĆE BOLJE/BO ŽE | Manjšine na mreži .
69. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=238366786868682&story_fbid=323045025067524&paipv=0&eav=AfZRy0f_yjBWd75dn7l_3iPWFHr6qexGlNvcCHk6mqCNzXHTKtLEoFlm1DujEZUBDYA&_rdr
70. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska — European Union Prize for Literature . https://web.archive.org/web/20160610123219/http://www.euprizeliterature.eu/author/2013/lidija-dimkovska . 2016-06-10 .
71. Web site: Lidija Dimkovska (North Macedonia) .
72. Web site: Christina e. Kramer Receives Literature Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts . 10 April 2019 .
73. • Best Translated Book Award (2013) (nominated)
    • Poet of Freedom Award, Gdansk, Poland (nominated) (2016)
    • Best Translated Book Award (nominated) 2017 in the USA for her novel 'A Spare Life' (published in English by Two Lines Press, SF, 2016)
    • shortlisted for The Macedonian Writers' Association Award for the Best Prose Book of the Year for her novel 'Non-Oui' (2017)
    • shortlisted for the Balkanika International Literary Award for her novel 'Grandma Non-Oui' (2017)
    • Special Mention by European Cultural Heritage for the cycle of five short stories from her collection 'When I Left Karl Liebknecht' (2018)
    • National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship for Christina E. Kramer for the translation of Lidija Dimkovska’s novel 'Non-Oui'^[72]
74. Web site: To Speak Europe in Different Languages - Specimen Magazine literary contest | the Loft Literary Center .
75. Web site: Struga Poetry Evenings Struga Poetry Evenings ].
76. Web site: The laureates of the annual awards of the Society of Writers of Macedonia - Free Press are known . 12 February 2023 .