Renowned Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulic has died
One of Croatia’s most famous writers and journalists, Slavenka Drakulic, has passed away. The author died at the age of 76 shortly after the release of her new book, *Why I Never Learned to Cook*.
Slavenka Drakulic was well known to readers around the world for her works on communism, post-communist society, the Yugoslav Wars, war crimes, and women’s rights.
The author was born on July 4, 1949, in Rijeka and studied at the Faculty of Comparative Literature and Sociology at the University of Zagreb. She began her professional career as a journalist, contributing to a number of influential publications.
Drakulić became one of the first female authors to bring feminist themes into the public sphere of the former Yugoslavia. In 1984, she published the book *The Deadly Sins of Feminism: Essays in Mudology*, and three years later, she published her debut novel, *Holograms of Fear*.
“The book had a huge impact throughout Yugoslavia, and Drakulic made a striking contribution to contemporary literature by introducing a female autobiographical discourse,” her colleagues note.
The writer has been regularly published in leading international media, and her books have been translated into many languages around the world.
Among Slavenka Drakulic’s best-known works are:
- “How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed”;
- “They Wouldn’t Hurt a Fly”;
- “Café Europe”;
- “The Balkan Express”;
- “The Body of Her Body”;
- “It’s as if I’m not here”;
- “Tales of Communism”;
- “Café Europe: The Return. How to Survive Post-Communism.”
A special place in the author’s work was reserved for the lives of women and the stories of remarkable women who remained in the shadow of their famous husbands. In her novels, she artistically reimagined the lives of figures such as Frida Kahlo and Mileva Einstein.
“Her wise, feminine voice and her insightful analysis of life in Eastern Europe and our everyday reality are what have made us recognizable in both European and global culture,” the publication emphasizes.
Slavenka Drakulic left behind a significant literary and journalistic legacy that has influenced the understanding of Balkan history, the communist past, and the role of women in contemporary society.
The writer was married to Swedish journalist Richard Schwarz. Her daughter, Rujana Jäger, has also chosen a career in writing.
The news of the writer’s death was reported by her colleagues at Jutarnji list.
Earlier, director and producer James Burrows, who was behind the creation of dozens of popular TV series, including “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory,” died in the United States. He was 85 years old. Over more than half a century of work, he directed over a thousand episodes and became one of the most successful directors in the history of American television.
Ukrainian scientist and human rights activist Natalia Belitser died at the age of 88. Her son, Kirill Bulkin, announced her death.
