Desanka Maksimović established her standing in the literary community in 1920 when her initial contributions appeared in the journal Misao. As a writer, educator, and translator based in Belgrade, she navigated the shifting political landscape of the twentieth century, eventually becoming a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Academic Foundation and Early Career
Born in 1898 in Divci, Maksimović completed her foundational education at the Valjevo Gymnasium before attending the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy. Her early literary efforts gained traction quickly, moving from the pages of Misao to the Serbian Literary Herald. By 1925, she secured a French government scholarship for studies at the University of Paris. Upon returning to Belgrade, she accepted a position as a professor at the First High School for Girls, a role she maintained until the onset of World War II.
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The occupation of Yugoslavia brought significant professional and personal challenges. Dismissed from her teaching post by German authorities in 1941, Maksimović faced economic instability. During this period, publication restrictions confined her official output to children's literature. However, she surreptitiously composed patriotic works, including the poem Krvava bajka, which detailed the mass killing of schoolchildren in the Kragujevac massacre. This work later became a staple of post-war public commemorations.
Later Works and Professional Recognition
Maksimović continued her literary activity well into her later years, producing the reflective volume Tražim pomilovanje in 1964. Her work received formal recognition through several honors, including the Dis prize in 1968, the Zmajeva prize in 1973, and the Golden Wreath in 1988. She remained an active member of the Association of Writers of Serbia throughout her life, translating works from French, Russian, Bulgarian, and Slovak languages until her death in Belgrade in 1993.
Fast facts
- Born: 1898, Divci
- Died: 1993, Belgrade
- Primary occupations: Poet, teacher, translator
- Major award: Dis prize (1968)
- Academy membership: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
- Languages: Serbian, French, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovak
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Maksimović address in her later poetry?
Following the death of her husband, Sergej Slastikov, in 1970, her writing increasingly focused on the theme of human mortality.
How did Maksimović navigate literary censorship?
In the early 1980s, she actively participated in public efforts to combat government censorship in Yugoslavia.
Achievements
- Dis prize — 1968
- Zmajeva prize — 1973
