HOW EAST SARAJEVO WILL CELEBRATE 100 YEARS SINCE THE BIRTH OF MIRA ALEČKOVIĆ

The 23rd Poetry Festival for Children and Youth, dedicated to Mira Alečković, will be held on March 20 and 21 in East Sarajevo.

PHOTO: Mira Alečković

This year's festival marks the 100th anniversary of Mira Alečković's birth, under the motto "The Magical World of Poetry."

The event is organized by Forum Teatar from East Sarajevo, with activities taking place at the Cultural Center of East New Sarajevo, the Žarko Vidović Gallery in East Ilidža, and Sveti Sava Elementary School in East New Sarajevo.

The main goal of the project is to bring the Serbian language closer to children and youth through poetry—both written and spoken—by offering engaging and well-designed content. Through extracurricular activities, the festival encourages creativity and imagination in writing poetry and participating in competitions for young talents.

The festival will feature various activities and promotions aimed at introducing different elements of written culture to children, young people, and the citizens of East Sarajevo.

Among the poets performing at the festival are Boro Kapetanović, Tode Nikoletić, Mirko Vuković, Sanja Padrov Tešanović, Jovo Čulić, Boris Đorem, Marijana Petronić, Radenko Kela, and Ilija Mimić, a reciter from Forum Teatar.

The musical segment will include performances by Branimir Rosić with his program "Flying Guitar," Maša Milovanović, and the Mašin Svijet Kindergarten.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

The opening ceremony of the festival dedicated to Mira Alečković will take place on March 20 at 1:00 PM at the Cultural Center of East New Sarajevo.

Later that day, at 5:30 PM, the same venue will host an evening event featuring poet Tode Nikoletić.

At 8:00 PM, the Žarko Vidović Gallery will hold a literary evening with Mirko Vuković, titled "A Noble Poetry Evening."

On March 21, the festival will conclude with the announcement of the winners of the 23rd International Festival for Children and Youth.

ABOUT MIRA ALEČKOVIĆ

Mira Alečković (1924–2008) was a Serbian poet, a participant in the National Liberation Struggle, and the author of the famous song "Comrade Tito, We Swear to You."

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, she focused on themes of Serbian national history and identity while continuing to write poetry for children.

She authored over 50 books for young readers and worked as an editor for children's and youth magazines such as "Zmaj," "Mladost," "Pionir," and "Poletarac."